


Icha Icha Gambit

by TheSilverScarecrow



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-21
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2017-11-16 18:07:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 99,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/542316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilverScarecrow/pseuds/TheSilverScarecrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a risk; one that could potentially ruin their team, however, who was Hatake Kakashi to argue with the Hokage? But when a never to be finished Icha Icha draft falls into his possesion things start getting wildly out of hand as Sakura does whatever it takes to protect their village from a devastating weapon. KakaSaku</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Placing the Pieces

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SilverShine (FanFiction.net)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=SilverShine+%28FanFiction.net%29).



Disclaimer -I do not own Naruto - trust me, if I did Kakashi's mask would have been removed a LONG time ago ;)

Icha Icha Gambit

A/NSo here it is! I'm really looking forward to what everyone thinks and will try to updat as much as possible. Its going to be a large project so please stick with me if it interests you ^^  
I will warn you, there is going to me mature content!

Chapter 1: Placing the pieces

"Umm...sorry?"

Tsunade sighed heavily.

"Look, I know this probably sounds ludicrous, but I'm sure you understand how limited for choice I am for this particular mission."

Kakashi stared at her. He had never openly glared at the Hokage before, with obvious reason, but right then he was considering how much of a real chance he might have if it came to a fight. It was no secret the woman could have thrown him through the wall, but she'd have to catch him first.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Well?"

He narrowed his own further.

"I am NOT doing this."

"I do believe, as your Hokage, you are supposed to follow my orders."

He folded his arms and lifted his chin slightly in a gesture that screamed defiance.

The blonde rolled her eyes, taking two sake cups out of her drawer, along with the notorious bottle that always seemed close at hand. "Here." She pushed one towards him whilst downing hers in one gulp.

He ignored it and continued to glare.

"Hatake, if you continue to look at me like that, I will throw you off this tower."

He sighed and uncrossed his arms. Truth be told, the woman sure could move when she wanted to, and as he'd never actually sparred with her personally, he could only guess his speed might outmatch hers.

"Look Hokage-sama, there are plenty of other shinobi who could do this. They'd probably be grateful too. I just can't believe I am your only choice, and to be honest, this feels like something Jiraiya would think up." He tapped his pouch where the little worn orange book sat.

Tsunade smiled at the mention of her late friend and nodded. "It does, doesn't it?" She poured herself another cup of sake and looked at the copy ninja matter-of-factly. "This has to happen. Sakura is the only person I can send on this mission. She's got the strength to protect herself if something goes wrong and the ability to heal herself thoroughly. I need my best kunoichi on this, and she's my best. But.." She sighed deeply, contemplating the bottle in front of her. "I can't let her go until.." she waved a hand.

Kakashi regarded the Hokage with a skeptical eye. He was half wondering whether this was some kind of poorly thought out revenge for catching him glancing over the rather distracting sight of her sleeveless kimono which was revealing a little more cleavage than usual, if that was even possible. The fact she was angry at that was beyond him. They weren't exactly hard to miss, and he was only a man, after all. He sighed.

"Why not ask Naruto? I'm sure he'd be more than happy."

Tsunade snorted derisively in a way that reminded the silver-haired shinobi of Sakura.

"I'd prefer it done by someone older, with more experience; someone who'll be gentle."

Kakashi cocked an eyebrow at her. "Who says I'll be gentle?"

"She used to be your student. I know you care for her, because I do, so I know you're the right person for this job."

"Then why don't you do it?" Kakashi snapped, in a very un-Kakashi-like way.

She glowered at him.

"What about Sai? He could probably do with the practice."

"I said older and more experienced, not socially inept."

"Genma, then? Hell, Gai even. Anyone else."

"Genma is scouting this mission and leaving in two weeks and I would not set Gai on my worst enemy. Besides, would you really be comfortable if I asked any of the other older shinobi to do this?"

"Yes," Kakashi deadpanned.

Tsunade jumped to her feet, slamming her palms against the desk, clearly over arguing. "This is happening. I need this to happen, because I cannot possibly send my apprentice on this kind of mission with her still being.. " She trailed off, her expression softening slightly.

"Couldn't Shizune go on this mission instead?" Kakashi offered.

Tsunade shook her head, sitting herself down and picking up the cup she had previously offered Kakashi. "Shizune is definitely a talented medic, but I wouldn't feel safe sending her in there without the kind of brute strength Sakura has. It's not that I doubt her ability, it's just..."

"You know Sakura will be more likely to put a man through the floor." Kakashi offered.

Tsunade smirked as she raised the cup to her lips. "Precisely." She took a sip and looked the Copy Nin in the eye. "Besides, Shizune is scheduled to be in Suna in a week anyway and the target is only going to be on Hachimitsu Island for three days and Shizune won't be back in time."

Kakashi sighed heavily.

"This is vastly inappropriate, even by my standards."

"Kakashi, if you read that rubbish Jiraiya wrote I doubt much is inappropriate by your standards."

"Exactly."

Tsunade placed the cup down with a sigh. "This isn't exactly easy for me either, you know. You used to be her teacher, you're still her comrade and superior, and if anyone were to find out it would definitely look sketchy at best." She rested her chin on one hand, while the other played idly with the cup in front of her.

"You know why I wouldn't feel comfortable asking one of the other jounin, or even her younger friends to do this?"

"It couldn't possibly be because it would make them either feel like a perverted old man or a ridiculously uncomfortable idiot, would it?" Kakashi asked drily.

Tsunade actually smiled. "A lot of attitude hidden under that mask, hm?"

"Mn," was his only response. He shook himself mentally, not usually letting his emotions get the better of him.

"I'm a woman. As such, I know how important it is for it to be right, and I love Sakura, I don't want to give this to one of the younger shinobi because I don't want it to be some clumsy tryst, and I don't want to ask any of the other older shinobi because it would just be another mission. There would be no consideration for her at all."

Kakashi folded his arms again. He was quickly losing his patience, which for him was saying something. This had to be the most ridiculous thing he had ever been asked to do. Hell, this was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard of anyone being asked to do. Sure, he cared about his students. Sure, he could understand Tsunade's reasoning to a point, but still..

"Tsunade-sama, I just- it's too.." He shrugged, unable to find the words.

She sighed again. It was something she seemed to do a lot when faced with this man. "You're the only one who can do this. It needs to happen, she needs to go. This is a big mission for the Leaf. The Intel she gathers could be invaluable."

Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and fixed her with his best stoic stare.

"Please?"

Kakashi blinked. Since when did the Godaime say please?

"She won't go for it." Kakashi replied.

"Convince her."

"How?"

"I'm sure you've had plenty of practice," the blonde drawled.

"So? The girl has ridiculous expectations."

"Meet them."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow in response.

"Besides, she's not that deluded anymore. Barely last week, she kicked some guy out of the hospital for assuming it was ok to call her sweetheart."

"I'm sure you were proud," Kakashi said sardonically.

"Very, but that's not the point. I believe you will be successful in this mission."

"Successful.." Kakashi repeated the word back to her. "It's more than a ten year gap.."

"What's age where skill is involved?" Tsunade was considering the sake bottle again. She glanced at the clock. Was one-thirty too early for one more? "So, do you accept this mission?"

"Do I have much of a choice?"

"If you don't I'll just assume you don't need it anymore and remove it."

Kakashi paled.

Tsunade raised her eyebrows.

"Fine."

"Good! To business then, Hatake-san."

Kakashi stared at her. To business? How could she be pleading for her young apprentices' virtue one minute and then be so matter-of-fact about it the next?

"You realise this could destroy our team?"

"She'll forgive you. You're Kakashi-sensei," Tsunade shrugged. "The girl worships you."

Kakashi felt a little smug at that. Of course she did. All his teammates did, and so they should. Admittedly they had all gone their separate ways for a while but they had come back together a stronger team because of it, and although their respect outwardly seemed to lessen over the years, he still knew they looked up to him. Which was why accepting this seemed all the more terrible.

"You realise this could destroy my soul?"

Tsunade openly snorted. "Please, I've read all the Icha Icha books. Having a pretty girl call you sensei? I'm sure it's some-"

"That's not the point." Kakashi cut in, rather bravely, he thought. "It's one thing to mildly entertain a brief thought while your little student runs ahead of you in tiny shorts, it's another set of moral dilemmas entirely to actually act on it."

"There is no one else for this particular mission."

"Tsunade, you're asking me to take my students virginity."

She raised her eyebrows at him, but chose to let the lack of honorific drop in light of his current stresses.

"You're taking her virginity like it's a pawn in shogi."

"A necessary move, however sadistic it may seem."

Kakashi gave her a dead eye.

She didn't blame him, it was ridiculous. She knew, however, what would happen if she sent Sakura to the Hachimitsu Resort without the issue of her virginity being addressed. She couldn't stand the thought of that being her first time, especially when considering the kind of low, filthy rich bastard her target was. Kakashi was definitely the better option, whether he saw it or not. "Kakashi, if it makes you feel any better, I'll talk to her afterwards and explain the whole thing, she'll forgive you."

"It does not."  
"Just go!" The irate Hokage bit at him, her patience snapping.

Kakashi gave her the filthiest look he dared and could manage with only one eye. She responded in kind by throwing the now empty sake bottle at his head. He disappeared in a puff of smoke and the bottle collided with the wall. Tsunade sighed heavily and put her head in her hands. The door cracked open, and looking up, she found herself staring at that familiar pink head.

"Tsunade-shishou, is everything alright?"

Tsunade smiled up at her apprentice looking a little wary. "Oh, you know, just a run in with your dear sensei."

Sakura smiled. "Was he ridiculously late again?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Something like that." She watched Sakura, who was eyeing the remains of the bottle with the kind of expression that told the old sannin she was about to be rebuked for drinking so much again. She decided to divert the oncoming lecture.

"Actually, Sakura, could you do me a favour?"

"Sure."

"I want you to tag along with Kakashi for a while. I'm sick of him moping around and you two are pretty close, right?"

Sakura blinked at her master. "Umm, well.. I guess. I mean, he's Kakashi, so he doesn't exactly pop around for unnecessary chats or whatever, but he's my Sensei and we're teammates, so..." she shrugged.

"Sensei.." Tsunade mused. "Suppose that makes him feel old."

Sakura wasn't quite sure where this was going. It wasn't like she called the Hokage her sensei, so there was no jibe at her in that sentence that she could see. "Maybe it does," she replied with a smile, "but I think he secretly loves it." She rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her hip. "Especially with his morbid fascination with Jiraiya-sama's books. I mean, I read them out of curiosity and all, and I'm pretty sure in every book the female characters refer to the protagonist as sensei." She shook her head. "I'm sure Kakashi-sensei must get some perverse pleasure at hearing his only female student still refer to him as, well, sensei."

She stopped, looking up at Tsunade all of a sudden; afraid she may have said something inappropriate. "Please don't think I'm saying Kakashi-sensei would EVER do anything like that! I'm just saying he's almost as perverted as Jiraiya-sama. Not that-!"

"Sakura," Tsunade interrupted with a sigh. "Stop babbling. It doesn't matter anyway; technically Kakashi isn't your sensei anymore so even if something were to ever happen it wouldn't even be an issue." She smiled slightly at the shocked look on her young pupils face. "Besides," she added with a coy smile, "I hear he's quite attractive underneath that mask. A little fun with an older man could be just what you need."

Sakura flushed. Was she really having this conversation with her shishou? Again? She cringed, remembering how the crafty Godaime had plied her with rice wine one night and enticed the information regarding her lack of sexual experience out of her. She glowered at the older woman.

Tsunade shrugged, "just saying, Ayame-san caught a glimpse of him once when he was eating and she swore he had the most attractive face she had ever seen on a man."

"Really?" Sakura sounded skeptical. Why would someone so handsome hide his face? "I still reckon he's got some kind of ugly mole or something."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "What if he's so good looking it would be distracting to his opponents?"

Sakura eyed her suspiciously. "Shishou, do you have some kind of crush on Kakashi-sensei?"

The older woman just barely managed to stop herself throwing the desk at her clearly stupid apprentice. She took a deep breath. "No, Sakura."

Sakura giggled nervously at Tsunade's unimpressed tone. "Sorry, shishou."

"I'm just curious. Aren't you?"

"Well, Naruto and I used to try all the time.." she smiled, remembering how their sensei always had one up on them. The last time Naruto tried it ended up with him being hung by his ankles on the washing line outside Kakashi's window. It had been quite a sight to see the hero of the village in such a degrading position.

Tsunade smiled slyly. "Maybe you haven't been using the right tactics."

"You think if we stole his Icha Icha collection and threatened to burn them he'd take the mask off?" A familiar gleam entered Sakura's eyes at the thought. Tsunade sighed. She was almost ashamed Sakura was still this innocent at twenty.

"That's not quite what I meant.."

Sakura looked at her questioningly.

"Well, there are certain things, as a kunoichi, you could offer in exchange..."

Sakura burst out laughing. She was still bent over when Shizune entered the room, eyeing the two women with genuine concern. Given the look on Tsunade's face, Sakura was either being very brave or extremely stupid.

"What's so funny?" the older medic asked, slightly concerned by the twitch in Tsunade's left eyebrow.

"Tsunade-shishou wants me to seduce Kakashi-sensei!"

"What?" Shizune looked at her master, confused.

"I'm just saying, Sakura, to be a fully capable kunoichi there are things you just need to know how to do, and this could be good practise."

"You want me to seduce my sensei." She waited for her master to laugh.

"He's not your sensei anymore."

Sakura's brow furrowed. Sure, that much was true. It had been quite a few years since Kakashi had officially been her sensei, but he was her comrade, her captain, a friend who occasionally kept her company when the two of them were in the village together between missions...

Shizune scrutinised the Godaime's face suspiciously. "Tsunade-sama, what are you-"

"Anyway!" Tsunade cut in quickly. "Sakura, I need you to keep an eye on him. I have given him a mission and I need you to, err... Help him."

"What kind of mission could Sharingan Kakashi need my help for?" Not that Sakura would mind a break from the hospital. It had been a while since she had the chance to run around punching enemy ninja. The idea made her grin. Yep, she could definitely use the workout.

"Resting."

Sakura blinked. "What?"

"He has been on a few demanding missions lately. He isn't injured so confining him to the hospital will be a waste of our time and resources, but I'm benching him for two weeks and I need you to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't try to sneak off with a mission. Those girls on the jounin mission's desk are quite susceptible to his charm, I've heard."

Sakura nodded. Kakashi could definitely be charming; she experienced it firsthand whenever he persuaded herself, Naruto or Sai to pay for dinner. The fact he could even get Sai to pay said something of his abilities in that area. It made sense he could charm some of the younger female chunin into overlooking his grounded status to give him a mission. Especially if he was as handsome as Ayame-san suggested... Not that that mattered. Nobody could see his face. Although, not that they needed to...

Tsunade openly grinned. She couldn't help it. It was almost too easy to plant the ideas in the young girls head, and it might help Kakashi out if Sakura was already starting to entertain thoughts about him.

"Make this your priority. You're dismissed, Sakura."

Sakura bowed to her shishou and left.

"What are you doing?" Shizune's eyes narrowed as she dumped some papers on the Hokage's desk.

"Nothing," the woman replied, flicking a blonde pig-tail over her shoulder. "What's this?"

"Mission reports. Tsunade, you can't actually be-"

"Shizune, leave."

"But-"

"If you don't, you can go down to the archives and spend the next five hours making sure the files are alphabetised."

"See you later, Tsunade-sama."

This was nuts.

Ridiculous.

Sick.

Perverted.

Deplorable.

Kakashi stopped listing any appropriate words he could think to describe his situation to watch a familiar blonde head pushing through the crowds to get to him.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi cringed. "You know, Naruto, I haven't technically been your sensei for a few years now."

Naruto punched the stoic man playfully on the shoulder. "Don't be crazy, you'll always be sensei to us!" the blonde smiled widely.

Kakashi rubbed his arm. Crazy was another appropriate word.

"Have you seen Sakura-chan?"

Kakashi tensed. "No."

"Ah man, I was hoping she would join me for lunch, but she wasn't at the hospital and I just came from Baa-chan's and she wasn't with her either. You reckon she'd be with Sai?"

Kakashi shrugged.

"Naruto!"

They both turned around to see the aforementioned kunoichi running towards them waving. Kakashi studied her with more scrutiny than usual. Sure she had gotten attractive over the years. He had pretty much admitted this to the Hokage. He couldn't help looking every now and then, especially since she had turned eighteen and it didn't make him feel as perverted. She had a nice figure, bright eyes, cute smile, smooth looking skin... but that hair was just a ridiculous colour on a woman. Seriously, it screamed adorable and young. Maybe if she dyed it..? But then, she wouldn't be Sakura anymore, and he didn't want that. He realised, with a sigh that no matter how appealing she may be as a woman, there was no shaking that little girl he knew her as. Albeit a little girl that could break him in half.

"Hi, Sakura-chan!"

She smiled at her teammate, before turning to Kakashi.

"Hey sensei," –he cringed again- "What did you do to Tsunade-shishou?"

"Hm?"

"She was pretty angry.."

He shrugged.

"Anyway, she asked me to keep an eye on you these next few weeks."

Kakashi looked at her questioningly.

"How come?" Naruto asked, looking between his two friends with mild curiosity.

"Apparently she ordered him to rest, and for some reason she's under the impression he's going to try and charm a mission from the desk girls.."

"Does she?" Kakashi asked with feigned indifference.

Naruto laughed at this. "Practising your seduction techniques, aye sensei?" Sakura slapped him on the head. The Jinchuuriki rubbed over his blonde locks with a chuckle. "I doubt he needs practise anyway, with all the books and advice from Ero-Sennin, right Sensei?"

"Mm."

Sakura rolled her eyes and stalked towards Ichiraku. "Coming?"

"Hell yeah!" Naruto punched the air and ran after her.

Kakashi watched them go. They may be two respected shinobi in their own right now, but some things never changed. He found his eyes lingering slightly on Sakura's behind. Then again, some things did. He sighed inwardly. An appreciation of physical features was not going to be enough for him to be able to do this. Which was strange as he never really gave that much thought to his conquests. They, however, weren't trusted teammates he would have to work with again. How was he supposed to do this and still maintain their friendship? Somehow he couldn't imagine Sakura ever going for casual sex. Admittedly all he had to go on was her adoration of Sasuke, and that was a long time ago. He really had no idea what situation her love life had been in since twenty minutes ago and he really wasn't welcoming the insight.

The behind in question suddenly stopped moving and turned. Kakashi's eyes snapped up to see a slightly frowning Sakura looking at him.

"You coming?"

"Mm."

Clearly she planned on starting her "mission" now. Kakashi slouched a little more and followed her almost begrudgingly. He couldn't believe that blonde-haired slug had done this to him. Not only that, she had made sure Sakura would be around constantly. He was sure he'd be able to slip away from her, but there were only so many places he could hide and if she made it her business to follow him around he had no doubt she would succeed. He glared at that ridiculous hair. He honestly couldn't remember being in this bad of a mood since Gai had beaten him at tracking down that goddam cat when they were genin. Sure, he had a cold that day, but still, he should have found it first.

He sighed again. Needless to say his day wasn't exactly making him happy.

Sakura stalked up and sat on a stool next to Naruto. Obviously she had been mistaken. There was no way she had just caught her old sensei looking at her ass. Sure it seemed that way. His eyes made the same movement she caught some of the other men in her life doing at times. She had hit Naruto only the day before for such an offense. Admittedly, the self-proclaimed next Hokage had the subtlety of an elephant among mice, but still... Maybe Kakashi-sensei had just been looking at something on the floor? But he had looked up the second she turned around, which meant he knew she had turned... She bit her lip.

"What's up, Sakura-chan?"

She smiled at Naruto. "Oh, nothing."

Kakashi walked in, taking the stool next to her. She glanced up at him and he creased his eye at her, indicating a smile. "We ordered for you already, sensei. I hope that's ok."

He blinked at her. "Mm."

She turned to Naruto questioningly. Sure, Kakashi had never been the most talkative person in her life, but even she had to admit, he was being rather monosyllabic.

Naruto grinned. "I think he's feeling a bit old."

"Or I guess he's just annoyed Tsunade-sama has taken him off the missions roster for two weeks," Sakura offered with a curve of her lips.

"Probably because he's getting old," Naruto added.

Sakura turned at the sound of her old sensei sighing rather dramatically.

"Remember the days when you were terrified of me?"

Naruto and Sakura laughed, picking up their chop sticks as the food came towards them.

"idatake masu!" They chorused. Kakashi dipped his head in thanks then poked his ramen around the bowl. Sakura was watching him carefully out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't believe it had pretty much been eight years and she still hadn't seen him without his mask, and she had to admit, Tsunade had piqued her interest in this particular area once again.

"Hi Naruto-kun, Sakura-san, Kakashi-senpai."

Sakura turned to see Sai walking up to them. He was glancing around at the other customers, uncertain. She smiled at him. He had definitely made progress since being assigned to team Kakashi but he still looked awkward and out of place when he was out in public. Naruto patted the seat next to him, and Sai carefully sat on it.

"Want something to eat, Sai?" Sakura asked. He shook his head. She smiled and turned back to her own food. Her eyes hit Kakashi's bowl and she nearly punched him out of sheer frustration. It was gone. He'd eaten the whole thing in the 10 or so seconds she had been distracted with Sai. She sighed agitatedly. How did he do that? It seemed every time they ate together something would claim her attention long enough for him to chuck his food down.

"I hope you choke." She muttered.

He looked at her confused and she indicated to his empty bowl. He smiled at her, rubbing the back of his head as if trying to honestly pull off contrite. She rolled her eyes at him and returned to her own ramen. Naruto had just finished his first helping and was being offered a second. She was on a team of pigs.

"So what have you been up to, Sai?" She hadn't seen the pale man in about a week.

"I had a mission," he replied simply.

"ANBU?" She asked. He nodded in response. "Well, I'm glad you're not injured."

He gave that rare, small smile of his and said, "Thank you, Sakura-san."

She couldn't help smiling back. Yep, he had come a long way alright. She looked around at her teammates. Sai listening intently while Naruto explained in detail his last mission to Wind country and how if it wasn't for him, Gaara would probably have died. Sakura rolled her eyes. She doubted very much the Kazekage had even needed his help. She suspected he called on the Leaf to send Naruto as back up sometimes just for company. She glanced to the other side of her to find that Kakashi had taken out his worn copy of Icha Icha Paradise. She rolled her eyes yet again.

"You realise its rude to read that kind of smut at lunch, right?"

"Mm."

She continued to look at him. He seemed a little tense; or as tense as Kakashi could ever be. The usual slouch to his shoulders had a strange tightness to it today, however, and given that Tsunade had clearly tried to take his head off he really must have been feeling angry at being forced to take some time off.

"Everything ok, Kakashi-sensei?" She asked lightly.

"Mm."

She made an exasperated sound and squarely turned her back on him. If he didn't want to talk, she wasn't going to force him.

"Sakura..."

She spared him a glare over her shoulder.

"Do you think you'll always call me sensei?"

She turned around, disbelief clear on her face. "Naruto isn't right, is he?"

Kakashi put his book down and studied her face. She shifted uncomfortably under the extra long stare, wondering what he could possibly have found so interesting about her all of a sudden. When he still didn't say anything, she turned her jade eyes to his and decided to break the awkward silence. "Um, it's no different to what it's always looked like," she muttered.

"What?" Kakashi looked genuinely puzzled.

"My face..."

"Oh." He sat back, and she was unaware that he had even leant forward. "You look older."

She glared at him. "I know working with Tsunade-sama has probably given me a few worry lines sensei, but I'm only twenty."

"No, I meant, you've grown up." He said it so simply and with such a happy eye crease she couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you, sensei."

He seemed to frown slightly. It would have been pretty hard for anyone else to tell, but being on his team for eight years meant she could probably read expression in that one eye better than most people could read their mothers own face.

"Are you really worried about getting old?" She couldn't seriously believe Hatake Kakashi would worry about something so inevitable, but she supposed she had never really known him to speak of his fears. If he even had any; and if this was his, it seemed a pretty silly one.

"Do you think I'm old?"

She laughed lightly. "Years are nothing," she said simply with a shrug. "No one would ever think you were in your thirties to look at you, and you certainly don't act like it." She added a small roll of her eyes at that last part.

He smiled at her then, and she felt a little pride at having seemed to cheer him up a bit.

"I'll always have you to keep me young, I guess."

She looked up at him. Her? Did he mean her specifically or the whole team? She glanced over her shoulder at the two boys, then back at Kakashi who was still smiling down at her. For some reason he seemed to be referring to her alone. She felt a little heat in her cheeks but was smiling brightly up at him. Everyone knew Sasuke had been the centre of attention on team 7, and Naruto became his golden boy pretty quickly. She had never felt back then that Kakashi had really cared for her development that much. After training with Tsunade-sama and being able to prove her worth that first time they were sent on the mission to recover Gaara, she had realised that she didn't need his approval. He had given it back then anyway, and it made her feel great.

She forgave his apparent oversight of her abilities a few years ago when he had explained how he never believed he was capable of bringing out the best in her and was happy someone else had. More than that, he was glad they could be on a team again. He had always been there for her, looking out for her, and she had eventually realised that was the best thing you could ask for from a sensei. He had cared; still did, and that was all that mattered.

Hearing him acknowledge her growth now made her particularly happy at being recognised as his friend outside of their team. She didn't know why, but it made her feel warm. It was nice when your sensei saw you as individually important and not just another part of his routine.

He stood up, ruffling her hair gently. Normally she would have frowned at him for messing up her hair, but she just smiled as he sidled out with a small wave. She turned back to the other boys. Naruto was busy trying to explain to Sai how he could use being an artist to get girls, while Sai was wondering out loud; "get them to do what?"

"Naruto," Sakura sighed, "please don't teach him bad habits."

Naruto turned to her with a grin, which faltered as he glared at the empty seat beside her. "Where's Kakashi-sensei?"

"Oh, he just-" Sakura's mouth dropped open. "No.." she whispered, mortified.

"That damn bastard!" She slammed her fists on the table so hard the dishes shook.

"S-Sakura-chan.." Naruto mumbled nervously.

"He skipped out on the bill AGAIN!"

Naruto blinked at her. "Dammit!"

She threw down some ryo to cover her and her soon to be dead sensei before taking off. He had made her feel good about herself. He had made her let him get away with messing up her carefully placed pink hair. He had made her think she was important in his life. Oh yes, it could be said by all the ninja of Konoha and beyond that Hatake Kakashi could be a charming man, but by the first Hokage she was going to punch him through the ground. If there was one thing in the world she hated, it was being manipulated.

She caught up in time to see him slip through the window of his own apartment. She stopped on the street below, smiling slightly and taking her time to pull her gloves on. She leapt up the building and slipped in quietly.

Pakkun looked up from Kakashi's bed. She placed a finger over her lips and the little pug shrugged before settling his head back on the covers. She stretched her hands above her head idly, before standing in front of his bedroom door.

"Hiiiii-yaa!"

Kakashi jumped out of the way as his bedroom door flew into his kitchen sink. He blinked in utter horror at the little pink headed figure that sidled casually into his living room.

"Hi, sensei," she said sweetly.

Kakashi did not like that tone, especially not in his delicate home.

"Uh, can I help you?" He removed the towel off his wet hair, silently thanking the universe that he had decided to only stand under the water for thirty seconds to cool off in the Konoha summer heat.

"I believe you owe me money."

Kakashi blinked at her. Usually him skipping out on paying was almost expected, and had never warranted a home visit demanding to be repaid. "Oh."

He continued to stare at her confused and scratched his masked chin. "Umm.. Why..?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously and he noticed her fists were clenched.

"I mean, umm- it's not been-you haven't.."

"Since when have you ever been lost for words?" She raised an eyebrow at him. He chuckled. She had a point, but she didn't have to know how much panic he was feeling at the prospect of having to pay to fix this building after she was done with it.

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the couch. He noticed she was worrying her lip with her teeth and frowning in a way that he could only term endearing.

"Sakura-chan?" He tried for endearing himself, something absolutely no one would ever connote with him.

Her eyes snapped up at him and he held his breath.

"You made me feel happy about myself just to squirm out of paying for dinner."

He looked at her. She seemed quite upset by this knowledge, and he wasn't sure why.

"I've been doing as much since I first met you, Sakura," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but.." She glanced around, and then sighed. He studied her closely, watching how the fingers on her left hand picked at her right sleeve.

"You charm everyone," she said finally. "I just thought, after all these years, maybe we were friends enough for you not to have to anymore."

Ah. He gave her his best smile, which was redundant given half his face was covered. "Sakura, I do it to you guys because it reminds me I can still get one over you."

She looked up at him, eyes round in her head.

"Besides," he added with a shrug, "just because I scored a free meal from it doesn't mean it isn't true."

That faint, pink blush tinged her cheeks as she smiled down at her shoes. Demure, he believed was the word for it. Not that he had ever thought of it to describe her before. Anyone who knew her would have laughed at that description. Brash, bold, violent, brutally honest... She looked up at him, still smiling. "Thank you, sensei."

His smiled lessened slightly. "Yunno, Sakura, eventually you'll have to stop calling me that."

She looked at him blankly. "Why?"

"Because friends don't call each other sensei," he gave her a small smile, which she returned.

Then she laughed lightly.

"Unless you ask them nicely." Her smirking mouth turned into a small "o" shape. She looked at him quickly. "I mean, umm.."

Kakashi just stared back. Had that really come out of his little student's mouth? Maybe Tsunade was right about her not being a little girl anymore, but he was pretty sure that was the closest thing to innuendo he had ever heard her say. He realised he needed to say something, and resisted the urge to laugh it off as he would have done before that meeting with his Hokage that morning.

A grin pulled at the side of his mouth for a second, and then he blinked at her. Would he? She was an adult now, whether he struggled to see it amongst all that pink or not, and he occasionally shared a little flirting, a dirty joke here and there, with the other female jounin. Admittedly he shared a lot more with some of them. For the good of his recent "mission" he put his hands in his pockets and fixed her with an amused stare.

"Why Sakura-chan," he teased lightly, "what are you up to behind closed doors?"

It was worth it just to watch that blush creep down her neck before she tried indignantly to glare at him. "That's none of your business!" She snapped.

He chuckled to himself before realising her fists were clenching again.

"Sorry, Sakura," he said quickly, "what's a little fun between friends?"

She rolled her eyes at him, turned, and abruptly left through his bedroom window.

He slouched back against the kitchen counter, the tea he was making forgotten on the top. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh. What the hell was he going to do? When he thought about it seriously, if he hadn't known she was a virgin and she instigated a little light flirting, he would have been intrigued by it. He would have gone along with it because everyone loves to have their ego's stroked. He probably would have enjoyed it. He knew her better than any of the other kunoichi in the village and up until that afternoon had always felt most relaxed when he was around her. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realised that if this had just been something that had happened by chance, if she had said that without him having Tsunade's stupid mission lingering in the back of his mind, he would have happily pursued that blush.

He liked making her blush.

He blinked at this revelation.

He supposed he could admit that much. Ever since he had complimented her on choosing such an inappropriate length of skirt for her eighteenth birthday, he knew this. It had been reaffirmed the following day when she had dragged herself to training with what was evidently a terrible hangover, and he had casually mentioned she should show off her legs more often. She had blushed furiously and he had chuckled, telling her it would probably be to their advantage when faced with male enemies. Her face had flushed as red as her shirt and she proceeded to punch the ground at his feet.

He smiled at the ceiling

"What was that about?"

Kakashi watched the pug trot into his living room before sitting on the couch and scratching his ear.

"Sakura-chan was a little angry I skipped out on the bill."

The pug stopped scratching to look at him.

"Why are you happy about that?"

Kakashi spared Pakkun a look before turning to observe his door, which had a giant split down the middle. "I just subdued Tsunade's sparring partner without raising a fist. I'm oddly proud."

Pakkun shrugged and curled up.

Kakashi left his door in its new home and flopped down next to him, taking out his beloved Icha Icha and putting his feet up unceremoniously. He didn't really have anywhere to be for the next two weeks. He figured Sakura would be back eventually under Tsunade's orders, and he guessed he could waste time til then. He glanced over at a small shelving unit and found his eyes resting on a small blue book. It wasn't his favourite, but that didn't make it any less good. Maybe he should be doing some research into how to complete his latest mission?

Well he supposed if that was really the case he would be following Sakura around or talking to some of her other acquaintances to see what she liked, but he couldn't quite bring himself to do that yet. If he started down that road, it became real. He sighed heavily, heaved himself off the couch and picked up the blue book. He placed the orange one on the shelf and made his way to the window.

"Later, Pakkun."

The dog made a gruff sound as Kakashi leapt out to the street below. He ambled away through the crowds towards the quieter part of the village, Icha Icha Tactics in his hand.

It was kind of like research, right?


	2. The Thing About Morals

Chapter 2: The thing about morals.

"What's up?"

"Nothing."

Genma rolled his eyes and removed the silver senbon from between his teeth. Kakashi continued ignoring him and kept his eyes firmly on his book. Of all the jounin he had come to know over the years, Genma was probably one of the few he would consider a friend. Not aloud of course, but enough to not shrug off his company. He didn't particularly want it now, but had inadvertently invited him over by waving as he caught site of the man heading towards the Hokage tower. He had jumped over and joined Kakashi on his roof top, dropping down next to him with a weary grunt.

"Tough mission?" Kakashi asked, flipping a page and not really caring.

Genma snorted in response. "Bunch of idiot chunin who passed the exam last week thinking they're the shit." He twirled the senbon between his fingers. "One of them nearly got himself killed. Honestly, is it just me or are these kids getting dumber?"

Kakashi huffed in response. He had been at the academy only a few days before as a favour to Iruka and he had definitely left wondering if Konoha's overall IQ would be diminishing over the years. The graduating class had been offered the chance to interview the village's legendary Copy Ninja and the best they could come up with was, "what's your favourite ice cream, Kakashi-senpai?"

"So, um, do you reckon Shizune is seeing anyone?"

Kakashi looked up at that. He fixed a grey eye on the man next to him and waited.

"I just- I saw her at the hospital the other day and she seemed pretty tired and overrun.. yunno, just thought she could do with a night out.."

Kakashi smirked. If any of the other women Genma had dated were to be believed a night out with him was blowing off a lot of steam before he disappeared the next morning. "I think it would be worth it just to see Tsunade's reaction."

Genma stuck the senbon back between his teeth and scratched his head sheepishly. "Yeah, maybe it's not such a good idea."

Kakashi huffed again and turned back to his book.

"Well, better be off. Still have to report back." Genma got to his feet with a grunt. "Ever think we're getting old?" He clapped the other man on the shoulders and turned to leave.

"Genma?"

He looked back at his haughty comrade.

"Do you think we're too old?"

He sat down again, stretching his legs out in front of him and staring at the man slightly confused.

"This isn't about the hair, is it?" He grinned.

Kakashi sighed and closed his book again, resting it in front of him on his knees. He looked out over the village. He loved it this time of day. The sun was just setting, shadows stretching out before him towards the east gate. There was always a buzz in the atmosphere this time of the evening. People were shouting happily to each other as they closed up their shops and the more eager shinobi headed towards the bars in the entertainment district.

"I've been given a mission." He scratched the back of his neck watching some shadows jumping across the rooves on their way out of the village.

He could feel Genma's eyes drilling into him, obviously curious. Kakashi sighed.

"And..?"

He stared towards the centre of the village. His favourite bar was over that way and he had already promised to meet some of the other jounin there later.

"You're coming for a drink tonight?" He asked idly.

"Yeah.."

Kakashi decided he would rather talk about this with a few drinks in him. Genma was not averse to giving his honest opinion when drunk and quite frankly, he would rather hear it in a way that would prove amusing if nothing else.

"I'll talk to you then."

He got to his feet and jumped off the tea house.

"Kakashi-san!"

He smiled and waved at the attendant who he had narrowly missed landing on and opened his book again, wandering in the general direction of home. A few people waved and called out as he passed, but he was in no mood to entertain. Not that he usually would have stopped anyway, but tonight he was feeling particularly vindictive. Drinking probably wasn't the wisest decision considering but it had been too long since he'd been out with any of the old crowd and they were starting to call him out on it.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Plus he did kind of miss the amazingly messy fun that was guaranteed when a group of over-worked, stressed jounin got together over drinks. The opportunity to act like complete children one night a month was definitely appreciated. Kakashi had to admit missing the last two had been a bit disappointing on review. The first one he had been out of the village on a mission, and the second time he just couldn't be bothered dragging himself away from the couch. He had regretted it a little the next day, and even though he wasn't overly thrilled at the idea at the moment, he knew once he was out he would have a good time.

"Sensei!"

He found his way blocked by a pair of black heels. He looked up; taking in the close fitting blue dress and the exposed shoulders, before resting what he hoped was a happy eye on his student.

"Yo."

"Ignoring me isn't nice."

He smiled at her narrowed eyes and pout.

"Sorry, Sakura. The plot of this one is pretty engaging."

She rolled her eyes at the blue book before flicking a loose pink strand out of her eyes.

"You look nice," he commented. Nice was an understatement. She looked like she was out for flesh tonight. If the Hokage hadn't told him herself there would be no way in hell he could look at this girl and say she was still a virgin. To be honest, he was a little surprised. She was a pretty girl, and it was an occupational hazard for kunoichi to be virgins. He wondered if she even knew how to seduce a man. Surely there have been missions where that would be required? But he supposed if the Hokage was your master then you'd be pretty protected from the more degrading missions... Until now.

"Sensei?"

"Mm?" He blinked down at her.

"I asked if you were heading out tonight."

He considered her suspiciously. "Maybe.."

"Oh, good," she beamed up at him. She seemed genuinely happy, but he supposed it would make her job easier if he was around. That way she could keep an eye on him and still have fun.

"See you later, sensei!"

She waved joyfully over her shoulder and caught up with a blonde girl that could give Tsunade a run for her money in the breast department. She was Asuma's student, he knew that much. What was her name again? He had gone on that mission with her shortly after his old friend's death... Ino, that was it. She waved at him, looking a tad more mischievous than he thought was warranted. He raised his hand back and carried on towards home. If he was lucky, he could squeeze in a little nap before he had to go out.

"Ino, hurry up!"

"I'm coming, forehead!"

Sakura growled under her breath. Her patience had been wearing thin with the girl for the past hour. She must have tried on seven different dresses, and then gone through five different hair styles while Sakura had sat on her couch flicking through a magazine. The blonde walked out of the bathroom, and Sakura had to admit, however begrudgingly, that Ino looked stunning for her efforts. She wore a simple black dress that accentuated her pale blue eyes amazingly, and her blonde hair was brought forward over one shoulder.

Ino caught her friends look and grinned. "Pretty hot, hey?"

"Mmm," Sakura intoned, turning back to the glossy pages.

"Sometimes wish you had let your hair grow out?" Ino walked over to the table looking for her purse.

"Sometimes," Sakura replied, picking at her short pink hair and wondering if there was a way to make it any flatter in the back. Ino smiled at her before grabbing hold of her arm and dragging her off the couch.

"Pig! What are you doing?"

"Come on!" She said cheerily, pulling her into the bathroom. Ino sat her on the bath tub and pulled out some pins. She leant over, pins in her mouth and started pulling back Sakura's hair.

"You can try all you like but it does its own thing anyway." Sakura tried fixing her gaze anywhere but on her best friend's giant breasts, but lord help her they were everywhere.

"So is Sai coming out?" Ino asked nonchalantly, tugging, pulling and pinning her friend's hair. Sakura rolled her eyes before muttering that she thought so.

"He's pretty cute in that pale, mysterious artist way."

"If you say so." Sakura had never really considered Sai attractive and couldn't see what her friend's fascination with him was.

"There you go!" She patted Sakura on the head and moved out of the way so she could have a peek in the mirror.

"Wow." She blinked a little surprised at the head before her. Ordinarily Sakura had to fight her hair into a simple ponytail for the hospital, or else left it down, but Ino had managed to pin it back in an elegant swoop. A few strands of hair that were too short were tucked behind her ears, and she had to admit, she was impressed.

"Ino, it looks great!"

Her friend grinned smugly before walking into the living room. "Come on then," she called back, "before the clock strikes twelve and it all pops out!"

Sakura eyed her friends dress pointedly. "Are we talking about the same thing?"

Ino rolled her eyes and headed for the door. "We're going to be late!"

"And whose fault is that?"

Sakura shut the door behind her and followed Ino out to the street where a rather irate looking Shikamaru was waiting. "Really?" Ino asked upon seeing him, "you couldn't have put anything else on?" Shikamaru glowered at her.

"Took your time."

Ino laughed and looped her arm through his. "Now, now, Shika-chan! It takes time to look beautiful."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and started walking. Sakura had to admit, most of the men she knew didn't divert much in their clothing, and Shikamaru's black pants and shirt were hardly a surprise.

"So we're having dinner first then heading to that bar in the village centre right? I hear the other girls at the hospital talking about it all the time. Apparently the drinks are pretty cheap and some of the older, attractive jounin go there."

Sakura rolled her eyes. Ino wouldn't go home alone if she could help it. And usually it wouldn't take long before she was surrounded by a horde of admiring males. Apparently though, she was growing bored of her usual pickings and wanted to try for someone older.

"Think about it, forehead," she had drawled; "older men have much more experience."

Sakura sighed. She didn't think her friend was wrong, but given her own lack of experience she didn't really have anything to compare to. Ino had been trying to set her up for years but Sakura just couldn't bring herself to follow through. She flirted well enough, and was always up for a little fun make-out session, but actual sex... She supposed she was just being old fashioned about it, but she always thought it should be with someone she cared about, however old or experienced Ino thought they should be...

"Hey, Sakura," Ino poked her in the ribs.

"Ow!" Sakura glared at her, thinking of how fun it would be to punch her in her pretty face and ruin her plans for the night. "What?"

"Isn't that your sensei?"

Sakura followed her pointing finger and watched her sensei walking down the street towards them, nose in his book, as always.

"Yeah."

"Hmm..."

Sakura glanced at Ino, noting the smile creeping across the blondes' lips.

"What?"

"Do you reckon he'd be cute under that mask?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. Her sensei's face had been on her mind all day, and just when she was starting to think of her night ahead, of course Ino would bring it up. It didn't matter if the cheeky blonde wasn't privy to the conversation Sakura had had earlier with Tsunade, it was still annoying.

"Do you think I would be able to get him to take it off..."

Sakura shot her friend a hostile glare. Shikamaru shook his head.

"Ino, I swear to God, you go anywhere near my sensei I will beat you so much no man will look at you again!"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You should see if he's coming out tonight though."

"Why?"

"Well," Ino mused, "there's no reason you couldn't try peeking under there."

"Ino!"

"What?" The blonde turned wide, innocent eyes on her friend. Sakura snorted, not buying it for a second. Innocent and Ino were two words that were NEVER meant to be in the same sentence. She couldn't even believe this was happening again. Why were people trying to get her to seduce the mask right off of her sensei all of a sudden? She glared at the pig, which earned her an impressive eye roll.

"Look, even though I bet he would be hell fun, why not just see if he's coming out, and if he is, we can just ply him with drinks and hope the opportunity will arise."

Shikamaru sighed heavily. Sakura couldn't help agree with the sentiment. She had never personally seen Kakashi drink, but she was willing to bet the man wouldn't succumb to their foolish attempts to unmask him.

Ino poked her in the ribs. "Just ask! It could be fun."

Sakura swiped at her friend's hands and turned to glare at her, but that mischievous grin was on her face. Sakura couldn't help but laugh. One thing Ino never denied her was a fun night, and if this was what she was going to latch onto, Sakura would run with it. Who knew, maybe it would actually work? If not it would at least make a fun story.

"Kakashi sensei!" She trotted over waving, but he didn't even look up. She groaned to herself. It was impossible to believe that stupid book, which he had probably read a thousand times, could possibly hold his attention so thoroughly, which probably meant he was ignoring her. Why would he be ignoring her? She slowed down, worrying her lip with her teeth. Had she done something to upset him? Surely he wasn't angry she had kicked his door down. He had seemed fine when she left, so that couldn't be it. Maybe he was just wary of the fact Tsunade had ordered her to keep an eye on him. She snorted. There was no way she was giving up her night out to babysit the Copy Nin and he was deluded to think otherwise.

She stopped directly in front of him. See if he could ignore her now.

"Sensei!" she snapped.

His eyes dragged up her frame, seeming almost to linger in places, and she shifted a little, remembering the first time he had seen her out on the town. That was a nightmare she would soon like to forget. She tugged a little on the bottom of the dress in a way she hoped was subtle before accusing him of ignoring her and getting a reply referring to Icha Icha as having an engaging plot. Yeah, right. She was just gearing up to admonish him for his ridiculous taste in literature, if it could even be called that, when he caught her off guard.

"You look nice."

Sakura took in a little breath. She could feel her cheeks getting warm and prayed he hadn't noticed. Why was he commenting on her appearance? He didn't need to, and he usually wasn't one to indulge in her obsession with looking good. To be honest, she could probably count on one hand the amount of compliments he had ever given her and if it happened it would surely relate to her skills as a ninja, not an outfit. Shaking herself slightly, she forced her mind back on track.

"So I saw you and was wondering whether you would be heading out tonight? I thought I could pay for a drink or two, considering you helped me out with that run to Suna the other month and you didn't have to." She silently praised herself on remembering that. She had said when they got back to the village she would owe him something in return. Perhaps make him a homemade meal, considering she doubted he had many of those. Buying him a few drinks in light of Ino's latest adventure seemed like a way to repay a favour, even if he wouldn't like the outcome if Ino got her way. Speaking of, she caught sight of the blonde grinning like a kid in a candy shop as she passed by with Shikamaru. Sakura ignored her as best she could and looked up at Kakashi, waiting for a reply. She felt her eyebrow twitch as she realised he wasn't listening. He had a faraway look in his eye and she was pretty sure he had no idea what she had just said.

"Sensei?" She praised herself again for how calm her voice sounded.

He blinked and smiled at her. "Mm?"

"I asked if you were heading out tonight?"

He gave her a flat look that made her avert her eyes to her shoes. She had regretted their decision since leaving the house, but she couldn't deny the opportunity to wear ridiculous heels. It wasn't as if she could wear them on a mission, after all.

"Maybe."

She smiled up at him, a little surprised. She knew he didn't go out all that often, so she thought it was pretty lucky to have caught him tonight. "Oh, good." Before he had much of a chance to say anything else, she bounded off after Ino and Shikamaru who had stopped to wait for her, shouting her goodbye.

"Well?" Ino asked, excitement pouring off her.

"He said maybe." Sakura replied, encouraging them to keep going. They were already running pretty late and if they didn't get there soon Choji would start without them, and then who knows what would be left.

"Yes!" Ino whooped. "If he wasn't he would have just said no, right? This is going to be fun! We'll have to get the others to offer drinks as well; otherwise he'll just get suspicious. You'll help, right Shika-chan?"

"No." The boys response was so flat Sakura flinched a little, waiting for Ino to round on him.

"Why not?" Ino fixed her best butter-wouldn't-melt-in-my-mouth look on him. Shikamaru sighed and massaged his forehead. "You're so troublesome."

Ino giggled happily, evidently satisfied she had him on board.

After a further ten minutes, they found themselves outside of their favourite grill house. Stepping inside it was easy to recognise their party, as they were the largest and by far the noisiest group in the place. This was mostly due to Naruto and Lee who were talking loudly, a suspiciously empty bottle between them.

"Hi, Sai-kun!"

Sakura rolled her eyes as Ino squeezed in next to the mildly surprised man. Sakura sat down next to Hinata, who smiled her greeting.

"How are you, Sakura-san?" Sakura smiled understandingly at the obviously embarrassed girl. It was hard not to be, with every eye in the restaurant on them.

"I'm great Hinata, you?"

"I'm glad you're here," she laughed nervously, pale eyes darting towards the boys.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto nearly knocked his bottle and a few appetizers flying as he reached over the table to hug her.

"Naruto!" She smacked him on the head. "Sit down!"

The boy blinked at her, before taking his seat and smiling sheepishly. "What are you drinking?" Sakura asked, suspiciously.

"You should try it, Sakura-chan!" He grabbed another bottle from in front of Kiba and hastily poured some of the dark red liquid into an empty glass, spilling some over the white tablecloth. Sakura groaned, thanking the Hokage's she hadn't worn the pale silver dress she had originally planned to that night.

"It's the house special tonight." Tenten explained, smiling over at an obviously frustrated Sakura. "It really is good." She raised her own glass to show she was also drinking it.

"Cherry wine, Sakura-san." Lee explained, before taking a massive gulp from his own glass.

"Umm," Sakura eyed the boy warily. "Is someone keeping an eye on him?" She really did not feel like helping to carry him home again. Master of the drunken fist indeed, he had nearly put her head through a wall last time and it took four of them to pin him down.

"Don't worry, Neji is keeping an eye on him!" Tenten nudged the grumpy looking Hyuuga next to her, who nodded.

"You're not?" Ino asked, helping herself to some deep-fried shrimp.

Tenten grinned happily from across the table. "Hell no!" Sakura laughed. Clearly this stuff was good if more than half their party were starting to get tipsy. In fact, everyone but Hinata, Neji and Shikamaru had a glass in front of them. Choji looked like he was settling into some beef soup, Sai was shakily taking sips of the wine whilst trying to politely answer Ino, and Kiba had two glasses in front of him, apparently taking Shino's from him. She fixed him with a pointed glare and he shrugged, grinning.

She took a sip and blinked in surprise. "Wow." Hinata looked at her.

"Is it really that good?" Sakura felt like her mouth was in heaven. "Hinata," she smiled, "you need to try this."

"Oh no," the girl looked positively mortified. "I'm afraid I can't drink much. Have to set a good example for the House and all."

"Is your house here?" Sakura demanded, slamming her hand on the table and taking a bigger sip this time. She saw Hinata's eyes flick over to her cousin, who just shrugged at her.

"He doesn't count," Sakura said dismissively. She summoned the waitress over with a wave of her hand. "Can we get some more bottles of this cherry wine?"

"Certainly," the woman replied, smiling at the cheers from around the table.

"Right, Hina-chan," Sakura said, draining off the glass. It really was good, and it went down so easy. "Tonight, you're going to help Ino and me with a mission, and we all need this wine to fuel our efforts."

"Mission?" Sai asked. Ino frowned at having his attention diverted, but then caught on.

"Yes!" She squealed. "Everyone, we need your help as we embark on the most perilous mission any of our teams have ever faced..."

Sakura laughed as she accepted another bottle from the waitress and poured herself and Hinata a glass. The shy Hyuuga picked it up and sniffed it tentatively. Sakura encouraged her with a smile, and she took a sip. Her eyes widened slightly as she lowered her glass.

"That's amazing."

Sakura grinned and took another sip. She looked around the table at the various responses to Ino's 'perilous' mission. Naruto, Lee, Tenten and Kiba had all agreed enthusiastically, whilst Sai sat there looking perplexed. Neji actually raised an eyebrow, looking a little interested, and Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Shino sat in the corner and didn't show any reaction at all.

Hinata hiccoughed. Sakura's eyes widened as she noted the girl's glass was already empty.

"I think we should do it!" The shy Hyuuga piped up.

"Hell yeah!" Naruto cheerily filled her glass as Hinata's cheeks flushed a little.

Sakura grinned around the table, eyes locking with Ino's. The girl returned her look of burgeoning victory. How could they not succeed? All they needed were a few bottles of this stuff, and if not, everybody had their token alcohol. It wouldn't be hard to find out what Kakashi's was, especially with everyone on board.

Sakura turned to a giggling Hinata, delighted at how quickly this wine kicked in.

Tonight was definitely going to be fun.

Genma's raucous laugh echoed around the bar and several people close by looked over with goofy grins. Everybody was clearly letting their inhibitions fly tonight and the man was the centre of attention as always. Kurenai giggled into her drink, cheeks pink. Kakashi was glad to see her out with them. She usually had trouble finding a babysitter but had coerced her latest genin team into keeping an eye on the most capable genjutsu user in the 5 year bracket Kakashi had ever met. He almost felt sorry for her students.

Shizune was sitting opposite him, shaking her head at Genma's latest tale of conquest whilst trying to hide a smile behind her hand. It had been a good one, complete with him running home without pants. Gai was sprouting off some garbage about the beauty of youth (no surprise there) and Iruka just rolled his eyes, unimpressed.

Kakashi had to admit, he was having a lot of fun. He was a little disappointed his kohai hadn't shown up but Tenzou had only just returned from a mission an hour ago and was apparently exhausted. However, Genma had been paid pretty well for his last mission and had bought a bottle of whisky to share. Kakashi wasn't an overly big fan of the stuff usually, but tonight he didn't mind the slight burning sensation every time he swallowed.

He had attempted somewhere around their third glass to bring up his latest mission, but he found Genma's response of, "just nail her," to be lacking wisdom. Gai, surprisingly, had been more encouraging, pointing out something to do with youth being shared and beauty knowing no age. Somewhere in the back of Kakashi's mind his more logical self had pointed out that Gai's response was ridiculous, but the fuzzy, happy, eye-creasing Kakashi had silently told his miserable half to shut up. Kurenai and Shizune had been more interested to know who he was talking about. He realised they may figure it out eventually, especially as Sakura worked closely with the other medic and they were bound to talk, but he had distracted them by buying the most brightly coloured drinks he could, some strange purple thing that faded into pink at the bottom. They had accepted it appreciatively and then Genma had taken the attention off him thankfully.

Or so he thought.

"So," Shizune turned her eyes to him. "You never said who you're supposed to be prepping for this mission."

Genma openly snickered. Shizune looked at him, curiosity turning to mild disgust as she realised what he found funny. "Grow up," she drawled, eyes rolling.

"Classified." Kakashi shrugged.

"You think you're too old?" She obviously wasn't going to drop it.

"Yes."

"And she's a virgin?"

"Yes."

"Damn," she breathed.

"You sure Tsunade wasn't drunk at the time?" Genma offered, his grin widening.

Shizune spared him a glowering eye before turning back to Kakashi.

"I guess if it's for the good of the village..." she shrugged.

"It's still a little unfair of the Hokage to ask you to do this though," Kurenai added, gazing at the Copy Ninja sympathetically.

"What?" Genma asked, incredulous. "He's been ordered to sleep with a young, pure, and I'm assuming beautiful, woman. What's the issue?" he turned to the man next to him.

"Just because you have the moral capacity of a sake cup" Shizune spat.

Genma snorted into his drink, taking a sip before continuing. "Look, he's been told he needs to do this. Sure, Kakashi may enjoy tearing himself apart over things he can't change-" Kakashi glared at him. He vaguely recalled enjoying his friends alcohol induced honesty earlier but wasn't averse to sticking that senbon in dark places if he carried on- "but there are definitely worse things he could be asked to do. Frankly, this mission is a walk in the park, and there is no reason why he shouldn't enjoy it."

"I don't think the age thing is that big a deal," Kurenai offered with a smile.

"If she's over eighteen and she consents there isn't really a problem," Iruka agreed.

"What about her delicate purity?" Gai demanded, apparently outraged this was being overlooked. "You must promise before us all, my rival that you will treat this lady with the care and respect she deserves!"

Kakashi inwardly sighed, but decided it would be better to placate the rambunctious fool than having him throw a table through the window again. He had been amazed the bar owner had agreed to let them back after that stint. Drunken Gai really did not like losing at poker, especially to him. "I promise."

Genma smirked. "Forget that, rile her up, turn her round and give her what she needs." His glass exploded against the wall after shizune slammed it out of his hand. "What?" He blinked begrudgingly at the furious medic.

"How the hell you pick up, I'll never know." She snapped, picking up her own drink and glaring at the man.

"Like to find out?" he offered with a smile. Kakashi leant slightly away from him, wondering if he was stupid. Shizune just gave a derisive snort he was thinking came as a consequence of working with the Hokage. "Please," she drawled, "I have a little thing called self-respect."

"That's what they all say," Genma grinned at her. She rolled her eyes and turned pointedly to engage Kurenai in conversation. Kakashi chuckled softly to himself. He had seen this play before, and if Shizune didn't watch her drinks she may be eating her words come morning.

He sat back, content for now. Nobody around the table seemed to think he was doing anything wrong, which was comforting. Except... they didn't know the whole story. He couldn't really think of a subtle way of putting it, and the whisky was advising him to just spit it out.

"What would you do if she and given the mission to you?" he asked the table at large, but mostly was looking towards Gai, Kurenai and Iruka. They were teachers as well, of course.

"I'm surprised she didn't," Genma blurted out.

"Probably because she knows you're a pig who would take advantage of the poor girl," Shizune threw at him. He raised a newly filled glass at her; "touché."

"I would do my bit to ensure Konoha's safety!" Gai, of course.

Iruka shrugged at him. "Suppose it would be a bit awkward but like Genma said, there are worse things to be asked to do." Kurenai nodded in agreement and Shizune added, "I wouldn't normally touch a virgin with a fifty foot long katana, but I'd do it if the Hokage said it needed to be done."

Kakashi nodded at them and scratched his chin, wondering if it was a good idea for his next sentence to-

"What if it was an old student?" So much for thinking that through. He glared at the whisky in front of him, aware everyone at the table had frozen.

Genma was the first to break the silence. "This is to prepare her for a mission coming up, right?" Kakashi nodded glumly.

"I'd do it."

"What?" Kakashi looked up to see an outraged Gai glaring at the brown haired man. He was also aware of the several curious faces that had turned towards them and was actually wondering if he could make it away from their table and out the door before the tirade began and a whole lot more people became aware of the conversation.

"Kakashi-san! You cannot possibly think it is ok to sleep with a student!" Kakashi actually put his head on the table after receiving some mortified looks from a pair of kunoichi sitting at the next one.

"Ex-student," Genma corrected, "it's not the same thing. If she was still his student, it would be sick, sure, but she hasn't been for like, what? six-ish years?" Someone must have nodded above him because Genma continued. "She's a jounin; she is expected to be able to seduce enemy ninja and what not, and being a kunoichi at her age and a virgin isn't healthy."

That's what Kakashi had thought...

"You have a point," Iruka put in, "but it would still make me really uncomfortable. I mean, I know these kids from the academy, I don't think I would ever be able to..." he let his sentence trail off, obviously disturbed by the idea.

"It is morally wrong! You helped raise and mould Sakura-san into the epitome of youth and skill she is today! You would be taking advantage of your position as her sensei!"

"Ex-sensei!"

Kakashi cringed as Gai and Genma continued to argue. Hearing his idiot rival say her name had somehow made it so much worse.

So much for the hypothetical angle.

He probably hadn't helped himself by being silent, but he honestly didn't know what to say, and hadn't he decided to bring this up so he could glean a more thorough perspective from them? He took a deep breath, noticing absentmindedly the table smelt like a rather potent mix of whisky and vodka. He coughed slightly and raised his head. Gai and Genma were still arguing, Iruka watching and nodding along thoughtfully. Shizune and Kurenai, however, had fixed him with look he couldn't quite decipher.

"You need to be careful, Kakashi-san," Kurenai said eventually. "This is a big deal for a woman. Sakura appears to be a late bloomer as far as kunoichi are concerned and she may seem old enough but if she is emotionally unstable you could potentially ruin her."

Kakashi groaned. Since becoming a mother, Kurenai had developed the irritating ability to pick out someone's biggest worry. If her past was anything to go by, Sakura was an absolute mess when it came to boys, Sasuke being the obvious example. He nodded his head at Kerunai's deep red eyes, before turning reluctantly to Shizune, whose stare was drilling its way through his head.

"This explains Tsunade..." she mumbles and shook her head. She took a breath, seeming to consider her words carefully. "Look," she started, "you need to understand I've gotten to be really close to Sakura. I may even know her better than you." Kakashi didn't doubt it. Sure he knew the in's and out's of her ninja abilities, he could read her mood swings so accurately he could plan training sessions to make sure they avoid the first day of her period, but they didn't exactly sit around painting their toenails and gossiping about hospital personnel. He nodded his agreement as she let out a breath.

"But, I actually think you'd be good for her."

Genma's senbon fell to the table with a clatter. They all looked at her, stunned. Gai looked like someone had just kicked his puppy, or maybe his favourite student. Kurenai was looking at her thoughtfully, and both Genma and Iruka were gaping at her. Shizune ignored them and fixed her eyes upon the one of Kakashi's she could see, and smiled at the evident surprise she saw there.

"I know you would struggle with it," she began, "and I think the reason why is pretty obvious." All of his comrades nodded their agreement. "But the thing is, Sakura isn't a little girl anymore, and she's damn smart, too. She isn't just going to walk into a bar and ditch her panties. She cares about you, and if anyone has to do it, it should be someone who cares for her, as well." Warmth lit up her eyes as Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, trying to make himself realise that he was being told that this was ok. He felt like Shizune was scrubbing all the dirty old man thoughts he had been having away... then concentrated on her face instead of the image that had just popped into his head of medics in little uniforms and sponge baths.

"You care for her, right?" she asked.

"Of course." What kind of question was that? He had spent the last eight years protecting her with his life.

Shizune shrugged. "It's not love in the sense Sakura probably expects, but I'm sure with your help she'll come to realise it's better than losing it to someone she thinks she loves now but breaks her heart eventually rather than someone she knows is going to care about her for the rest of her life."

Kerunai smiled. "So true," she murmured. "There are no regrets when your first time is a close friend." She turned appreciative eyes on the man in front of her, almost as if she were proud about what he was doing. That couldn't be right.

"Wait a minute," Iruka cut in, "not only are you ladies saying you're ok with it, but you actually think it would be better for her than it being someone she's in love with?"

"Of course," Shizune shrugged, "Sakura would know Kakashi genuinely cares about her, so there is no worrying about whether he just wants to get in her pants and leave her the next morning."

"Right," Kurenai added, "and there will be no regret on her part, I'm sure. As long as she doesn't get carried away..."

"Why?" Genma seemed genuinely intrigued by a woman's insight into the female mind.

Kurenai smiled demurely into her drink. "I'm not speaking from experience, of course, but I'm sure Kakashi-san would be a caring and attentive lover for someone he cares about."

Genma smirked at his friend before Shizune added, "Plus, older guys are more experienced. Sakura would be lucky to have such a mind-blowing first time."

"Oh, yeah," Kerunai agreed, grinning.

Kakashi turned a smug eye to Genma, who was looking at the kunoichi like they had stolen his whisky bottle.

"Don't encourage the old bastard," Genma said, pointing to Kakashi's silver locks to emphasise the 'old.'

"I'm mind-blowing."

Genma groaned dramatically before taking a swig from his nearly empty glass. Gai, who had remained silent through the kunoichi's conversation, turned to his rival with seriousness etched on his features. "The points my beautiful comrades make indeed seem well-founded, however, I believe you need to tread carefully. This is a young, pure woman and you must be sure she doesn't confuse your actions to mean love."

Kakashi stared at him. It wasn't an unusual occurrence; he had stared at him plenty throughout the night. At least Kakashi had made some effort, donning a light grey, button-up shirt and removing the material from around his black slacks, but he was pretty sure all Gai owned were those stupid green jumpsuits. This time, however, it was more to do with his words.

"Well, shit." Kakashi deadpanned.

"Ouch," Genma added, albeit a little cheerily.

"True, she is a virgin." Shizune cut in, before Kakashi could execute the threat his glaring eye promised towards Genma. "She isn't, however, an idiot."

Kakashi turned back to Shizune. He had never been so thankful to have her around as he did tonight. The woman's insight into Sakura's personal feelings was an absolute godsend. As was her agreeable attitude. Of everyone at that table she was the one he thought he was going to be fending off and avoiding accepting drinks from on the off chance she slipped poison in them for the rest of the night. He looked at her expectantly, almost begging for her advice.

She chuckled to herself, clearly thrilled that Hatake Kakashi had to ask her for help. "Trust me," she said, twirling a redundantly small umbrella around her drink. Honestly, Kakashi wondered what kind of purpose those pathetic little things had. Surely they wouldn't be protecting someone from rain any time soon... He forced himself to pay attention to Shizune again. His mind was going to get the better of him one of these days.

"Even if you were successful, I don't think Sakura would run away with herself after the whole Sasuke debacle. I think it hardened her a little. She isn't going to fall head over heels for you and even if she did, she wouldn't force her feelings upon you."

"If he's successful?" Genma asked, almost indignant for his friend.

Shizune snorted. "I'm sure you're good, Hatake, but I've seen what Sakura does to men who try to get fresh with her."

"I bet you two hundred ryo he beds pinky."

Shizune snorted. "I'm not Tsunade, at least make it interesting."

Kakashi stared in disbelief between the two.

"Let's pool," Iruka suggested. "Two hundred each, I reckon Sakura will refuse." The man at the centre of the bet fixed the academy teacher with his most intimidating glare. Iruka gave a nervous laugh and shrugged apologetically.

"I'll take it," Kurenai chimed in. "I think he'll win. Older man, hidden behind a mask, all mystery and potential experience..." she grinned at him, "she'll be putty in your well-trained hands." Kakashi shook his head but grinned despite himself. He kind of liked the sound of that.

"I believe she will not succumb, being madly in love with my student!" Kakashi rolled his eyes at Gai. Lee was deluded if he thought he had a chance with Haruno Sakura.

"You already know my standing," Shizune shrugged.

"Alright! Two hundred each." He put his senbon back in his mouth and leaned across the table, a wicked smile curving his mouth. "And just to keep it interesting, if I win, you come out to dinner with me." Kakashi chuckled at the shocked look that crossed Shizune's face before she steadied her gaze and replied offhandedly, "fine."

Kakashi leaned back against his chair mulling things over. They seemed to think it was ok, in general. Gai was Gai, so he ignored that for the most. He had no qualms with admitting that, if this got out, then he might get some more reactions along the same vein, but he could deal with them. The only opinions he cared about were the people sitting at that table. Well, his students as well, but hopefully Sakura would be swayed and Naruto... he winced. Naruto might be an issue. Hopefully how to deal with the blonde hurricane would become evident at the required time, but for now... he smiled around the table, grateful for their understanding.

He was definitely feeling better about himself. He wasn't one hundred percent happy with the situation, of course, but he felt he might better handle it now. She was attractive, and he may as well try and have some fun with it. Sakura might get angry if she were to find out her virginity was just a mission precluding to a bigger picture, but besides her temper leading to the contrary, he knew she could be rational after she had calmed down. Besides, Shizune was right, she was a smart girl. He looked up and smiled at Shizune, who seemed to be reading his mind.

"She can handle it," the woman said smiling. "Sakura is one of the brightest, most intelligent-"

BANG!

Kakashi and Genma both jumped and looked around at the entrance door that had just swung open. A large and very loud group of shinobi had just entered, and at their front, two girls were hanging off each other laughing hysterically. The blonde one managed to control herself for a second, straightening herself up before pushing her pink-haired friend in front of her and proclaiming to the entire bar; "Who wants to sex up this pink pussycat!"

Turning at the audible slap behind him, Kakashi laughed at Shizune, who had slapped her hand to her forehead and was now holding it there.

Genma grinned at her before turning gleaming eyes to Kakashi. "Now might be a good time to lay some ground work." He winked.

Kakashi turned uncertainly towards the group again, noting Naruto was among them, along with students of both Gai and Kurenai. He couldn't imagine what was going through Iruka's head, given he had taught all of them at some point. He glanced over at the man who was quietly shaking his head. "Where did we go wrong, huh?" Kakashi asked with a smile. Two of the other three teachers nodded in agreement. Gai, however, got up, exclaiming with joy that he would share a drink with his beloved student.

"How do you reckon I should start this?" Kakashi asked, rubbing his chin through his mask. If it was any other woman in the world, he would have known exactly how to play his cards. He supposed he should do what was natural and thank whatever god's had provided him with this opportunity, even if he was still a little reluctant to start.

"I'd start by saving her," Shizune growled. Kakashi eyed her cautiously. Did she mean from herself? He looked at Kurenai bewildered, who smiled and pointed. Following her indication, Kakashi noticed several men had begun making their way over to the two girls who were now using the bar as support. They had a predatory look Kakashi knew only too well, and his eyes narrowed slightly. Even if he hadn't been given this mission or just been granted the ok by his friends, nobody looked at his ex-student like that.

Genma caught his eye and chuckled. "Oh, tonight is going to be fuuuuunn."

Kakashi grunted in response and got to his feet.


	3. Teacher Knows Best

Chapter 3: Teacher knows best

Sakura had realised the second she stood up that she was drunk. She supposed she had become suspicious around the time she lamented mournfully over spilling her glass for the second time. She cursed the wine vehemently as she held onto Ino's arm for dear life. It had taken them half an hour to traverse the rugged terrain of the Konoha streets. She glared at the ground below her, beginning to suspect it of sprouting rocks deliberately in her path.

She could at least say she was doing better than some of the other members of their group. Hinata was giggling and blushing furiously as a very boisterous Naruto seemed to be taking particular care to pull her out of the way of enemy ninja. The enemy in particular fixed him with slitted pupils before running off up the ally with a hiss and a flick of its tail. Tenten and Lee had been singing loudly for the last five minutes with a very uncomfortable Neji between them. Shikamaru was a little behind the group making sure an ashen faced Kiba (who had thrown up after they left the restaurant claiming he could drink more if he got it out of the way) wasn't about to lie down in the street and fall asleep.

Sakura sighed happily, tightening her grip to steady Ino as the girls foot twisted in her ridiculous heels for the fifth time tonight. She loved these nights. No matter how busy or stressful her life usually was, these were the moments she lived for. The first time they had all gone out together was after Sasuke's funeral. None of them had really wanted to, but it had been Naruto who had insisted they go and have dinner and a few drinks to mourn their fallen comrade. Nobody could refuse him, and they had all woken up in the pre-dawn cold strewn haphazardly around the memorial stone. She had woken up to the surprised face of their sensei, who then proceeded to unmercifully wake the others with a paper bomb.

Sakura giggled softly at the memory. Kakashi could be a cruel man.

"Oi, Forehead!" Sakura's head snapped up with a snarl. Antagonising the pink haired kunoichi was stupid enough when she was sober, but doing it with this much alcohol raging through her system was just suicidal. "What, Pig?" She snapped.

"Tonight, we are going to get you laid." Sakura just blinked at her friend. "Seriously," Ino continued, "I'm sick of you being a virgin."

"Sakura-chan!" Kiba piped up, his queasy stomach obviously not distracting him enough to be able to eavesdrop, "if you ever feel yourself needing a real man to-"

"Finish that sentence Inuzuka and you'll be vomiting more than your stomach contents," she snarled furiously. She turned angry green eyes on her friend. "And just why does my being a virgin affect you?" She demanded.

"Because," Ino drawled, flicking a piece of hair out of her eyes, "I need someone to talk sex with. Tenten is way too weird and even the first Hokage knows Hinata has never even seen a guys d-"

"INO!"

Sakura glanced over her shoulder to see whether Hinata had been listening. Thankfully she was too busy laughing at the blonde idiot next to her to overhear. Giving a thankful sigh, Sakura turned back to Ino.

"Look, it's not like I haven't done stuff. It'll happen when it happens," she said with a shrug.

Ino groaned audibly. "No it won't, forehead! You need to take initiative. I'm seriously starting to think all of that anger you've got would dissipate with one good fuck."

Sakura's mouth fell open and she stared blankly at her smirking friend. "Think about it," Ino said, smiling slyly, "you're a medic. You know how relaxed it'll make you. If anything I reckon you need it just to bring your blood pressure down."

Sakura couldn't find the adequate words needed to shoot her friend down, which was apparent by the smug face Ino now fixed her with. Her smile widened, obviously noticing the cogs turning behind Sakura's wide eyes. It was true that as a general rule, Sakura was constantly frustrated. When she was younger she thought it was just the nature of her personality, and there was no doubt she had always been stubborn and with a quick temper to boot, but now that she was older... It was true, few things could relax the body and mind the way sex was proven too, so through a medicinal point she supposed her best friend was right. She still didn't think she could waste her first time with just anyone, but she was twenty now and it was becoming a bit ridiculous, especially in her occupation... She bit her lip, wondering if this was one of those rare occasions that Ino was right.

Ino seemed to take her silence as acceptance. "Oh, yes," she gushed, blue eyes bright, "tonight is the night, Sakura!"

"I don't know..." she tugged at a strand of pink hair uncertainly.

Ino slammed open the door in front of her. Sakura blinked surprised. She hadn't realised they had arrived and she and Ino laughed at the shocked looks on the faces of the people already settled around the tables, drinks in hand.

"Who wants to sex up this pink pussycat!"

Sakura flushed red at her friend's proclamation. She tried to slink back out the door but the blonde was already pulling her to the bar, and the exit was blocked by the rest of her friends cramming in around them. "Ino!" she hissed, but her friend just smiled cheekily at her and she couldn't help grinning back. Finally reaching the bar, they clutched onto it like it was the last solid thing in the world and waited for the bartender to notice them, which didn't take long. He sidled over, a sly grin on his face, making no effort to hide the way his eyes slid over the women approvingly. His smile faltered and his eyes widened slightly at something just above Sakura's head.

"Bottle of sake and a few cups please." The man nodded and turned to get the order. Sakura turned around to give whoever had intruded on the placement of her order a piece of her mind, but then broke out into a smile.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she practically screamed. "It's good to see you!" She eyed his hair and started giggling. He raised an eyebrow at her. "I nearly wore a dress the same colour as your hair tonight!" She noticed the slight creases at the corner of his eye that indicated a smile. She realised she loved it when he did that, and was proud to be the cause of it.

"Who are you here with?" she asked. He indicated over his shoulder and she saw Iruka, Genma, Shizune and Kurenai sitting at a table. She waved enthusiastically at Shizune, happy to see she was out having a good time. The medic waved back, apparently happy to see her too.

"Do you think you or the others would mind much if I went over and said hi to Shizune-san properly?" The Copy Ninja shook his head, picking up the cups. "Not at all, Sakura. Grab the bottle, would you?"

She turned back to a grinning Ino. "I'll be back."

"Oh don't worry," the blonde said happily, "we'll pull a table up close by and offer him drinks whenever we get you one. That mask is so coming off tonight!" That wicked gleam was back and Sakura couldn't help but laugh as she picked the bottle up off the counter and pushed her way over to the table where the older jounin and Iruka sat.

"Hi, Sakura-chan!" Shizune gave her a hug and indicated to a spare seat Genma had just whipped over from a nearby table. She sat on it somewhat ungracefully, plonking the bottle down on the table and grinning around at them all. It was like being accepted into the cool crowd at school and she was going to enjoy it.

"Bit drunk?" Genma asked, his arm sliding over the back of her chair. She nodded happily as Kakashi poured sake into cups and passed them around. She picked up the one in front of her and took a little sip. "How's everyone's night going?" she asked, attempting to appear less of a mess than she felt. They all smiled at her and told her they were having a good time, and they chatted lightly about what the younger shinobi had been up to. She gushed happily for 5 minutes about the amazing cherry wine they had all drank, and Genma laughed appreciatively.

"You're looking very nice tonight, Sakura." She smiled up at the man, noticing for the first time that his brown hair wasn't being held in place by the bandana styled hatai-ate. "Thank you, Genma-san," she replied. He smiled at her, before glancing over her head. His grin widened but he removed the arm from around her chair, and as she turned she saw Kakashi's eye, which were narrowed at his friend, flash back to his casual happy I'm-so-nice crease. He held the bottle up questioningly and she nodded, just as someone tapped her shoulder. Turning around, she caught Kiba's grin as he settled a tray of strange, orange coloured shots on the table. "Consider this a thanks from all us rookies for the skills you taught us over the years." The older shinobi glanced at the tray, then back at the younger man whose pointed canines were bared in a fierce grin.

"Kiba, this isn't necessary," Kurenai, said, a smile on her face.

"Of course, it is! Especially for you, sensei." He bowed at the woman, who blinked in confusion at the strange show of respect. Kiba squeezed Sakura's shoulder. "We're right behind you whenever you want to join us." She smiled behind her at all her friends lounging on the table next to them in various degrees of intoxication. She turned back with a giggle and picked up one of the shots. The other jounin followed suit.

"To success in all our future endeavours! Especially missions that involve very attractive-" Genma gasped suddenly and turned wide eyes on a glaring Shizune. Sakura didn't bother asking what was going on, and took the shot. She coughed and spluttered as the liquid scorched its way down her throat. "Man, what was that?"

The others didn't so much as wince at the alcohol, and she had the slight feeling she may be out of her depth with these veteran shinobi.

"Gai sensei! WHAT is he lookin' at?" Sakura turned with the rest of the table, horror-struck. The next few seconds went in slow motion as Lee grabbed a chair and hurled it at a terrified chunin. The poor man just managed to duck out of sight while Gai and Neji tackled Lee to the floor. Neji rolled his eyes at a laughing Tenten and bundled his raucous teammate out of the door. Sakura turned to see Shizune shaking her head in amazement and giggled.

The next hour became increasingly hazy as her friends kept bringing over varying potent alcohols. She didn't think she was the only one at the table suffering. Shizune and Kurenai were looking glassy-eyed and Genma seemed to be getting louder and more inappropriate as the night went on. To her dismay, Kakashi next to her seemed completely unaffected. He laughed along with everyone else, but there was nothing in his stance or mannerisms that suggested he was feeling the alcohol. She glanced behind her and caught Ino's eyes. Her friend frowned and shrugged. It seemed she wasn't too sure how to proceed with their self-appointed mission either.

Sakura sighed and turned back to the table. "Something wrong?" Sakura turned at the sound of Kakashi's smooth voice and smiled up at him. "Not at all, sensei." She was vaguely aware of a snickering Genma behind her but chose to ignore it. She eyed the sake bottle like it was her worst enemy. She could already feel the pounding at the back of her head that promised tomorrow would be hell, but a big part of her decided she deserved a great night out. She reached out for it and brought it shakily to her cup. Kakashi's warm hand closed over hers and she froze. She looked up at him, confused, but he just smiled at her and helped pour the liquid. She supposed her hands were probably quite shaky and she thanked him, but her mind was hyper focused on the fingers closed around hers. His hand was large and covered hers completely. She was surprised at how deceptively smooth it felt. Most ninja had quite calloused hands from years of use, but aside from one small, shiny scar, there was nothing. He guided the bottle to the table, and pulled his hand away, fingers stroking lightly over her knuckles. She became aware her mouth was open and shut it quickly, smiling her thanks and grabbing the cup. She spilled a little as she brought it to her lips, taking a sip and wondering if there was any way in the entire world that that simple touch had been deliberate. But more importantly, why the simple stroke had sent a jolt through her body...

It was, of course, more than possible her clouded mind was creating something more out of her old teacher's friendly help. More than likely that was it, mingling with her apparent sexual frustration, as Ino had so eloquently put it. She giggled, more to herself than anyone else, and smiled happily around the table. "Sakura, it's probably time you headed home. Don't you have to be at the tower at seven?" Shizune was smiling at her, but the look in her eyes made it quite clear that her life was going to be hell come morning.

Sakura pouted at the woman who had become like a sister to her. "I don't want to, I'm having fun!" Genma and Kurenai chuckled appreciatively and Kakashi ruffled her hair. She glared at him reproachfully and tried to pat it back down. "Now, now, Sakura, I don't think your patients would appreciate you treating them drunk."

"S'pose.." Sakura slurred. "Alright, see ya in mornin' zuny-chan!" She said goodbye to the others, smiling at Kakashi, and stumbled over to Ino. "Pig! It's time to go home." Ino laughed at the state of her friend and shook her head. "I'm staying." Sakura really didn't have the energy to argue, so she said farewell, waving off Naruto and his offer to walk her home, and stepped out into the warm night.

She took a deep breath and her whole world span. Her hands shot out, trying to grab anything to steady herself with, and came into contact with something beside her. She felt her hands close around something soft, and was half aware that there were arms bracing her. She blinked stupidly at her hands gripping a light grey shirt and looked up slowly.

"You alright, Sakura?"

She nodded, aware the dark grey eye she could see was crinkled at her in amusement, but somehow she was unable to be indignant. "Hey, sensei," she breathed. She tried to direct some chakra towards her stomach, desperate to get rid of the building nausea. She was not throwing up in front of Kakashi. She was pretty sure her head would explode with embarrassment.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and slowly encouraged her to walk. "Come on," he laughed, "let's get you home." She sighed heavily and leaned into him, head resting just under his arm. She shivered slightly, not realising how cold she was until surrounded by his warmth. "You're so nice, Kakashi," she mumbled. She didn't think it was possible to fall asleep whilst walking, but she could feel her eyelids becoming too heavy to hold open.

"How far from home are we?" She asked, yawning widely.

Kakashi didn't know whether to be ashamed or proud of his ex-student. She began mumbling inaudibly and he couldn't help but be amused. He had to admit, she had drank a lot more than he thought she would be able to handle, but had started to wonder by the time Tenten had come over with drinks for their entire table that maybe her friends were trying to get her drunk. He could imagine Sakura would be hilarious when drunk and he had to admit she had definitely been chattier than he was used to. Eventually, however, it became aware that she couldn't keep up with the seasoned drinkers whose table she had shared and Shizune had suggested she go home. Genma had given Kakashi a very pointed look and he realised now was as good a time as any to start laying down foundations. Although personally, he wasn't sure if he was in the right state to do much. Over the years he had perfected the outward appearance of sobriety, but in all honesty he was feeling a little lightheaded.

He sighed heavily. Getting the approval of the other ninja still hadn't completely left him without doubt. The fact of the matter was, Sakura didn't deserve to have this taken away from her by someone as old and jaded as him, but the alternative on her future mission was admittedly much worse. Besides, judging by her grand entrance, it may have been dawning on her it was time; or at least, on her drunken conscious. He chuckled softly as she gave a hiccough and shifted his arm to support her better.

"Kakashi?"

"Mm?"

"What's under the mask?" He blinked down at her pink head. She tilted her face up at him and fixed bleary, glassy eyes on his suspicious one.

"We had a mission tonight, yunno." He tensed, wondering if Tsunade had done more than told her to keep an eye on him. "Oh?"

"Mmm," was her only reply. They trudged on in silence for a few minutes, Sakura's state making their pace a lot slower than normal. "Ino and I convinced the others to help us get you drunk enough to see your face." She giggled and Kakashi regarded her like he might a misbehaving child.

"Sakura," he chided lightly, "you should have learnt years ago to let that one go."

"But we wanted to see!" She almost whined and he couldn't help but laugh.

"If you pursue this you may find yourself in over your bubblegum head," he grinned at her. She glared up at him. "Excuse me?" He suppressed his laugh at her icy tone and shrugged slightly. "Just saying, you've been warned."

"Are you threatening me?" He shook his head.

"Nope."

"I want to see," she demanded.

"Maybe one day."

She looked up at him with round eyes, but he could tell she has struggling to remain focused.

"One day," she sighed wistfully.

Kakashi shook his head. The fascination his students had with his mask had been cute when they were little, but the older they got, the more annoying their attempts had become. Finally deciding to put an end to it, he had hung Naruto up for everyone to see and left him there, chakra sealed, for three hours. He thought that would have provided enough of a warning but apparently not. Given his current situation, however, he could only think of one way she could get him to remove it, and that was probably a dangerous thought. Still, if their only plan had been getting him drunk, he couldn't be too annoyed, especially looking down at the wreck drinking so much had left the petite kunoichi tucked into his side. He chuckled again.

She suddenly stopped moving and he looked back to see her eyes widen as her face went pale.

"Sakura?"

"Oh no.." she stumbled into an alley and Kakashi, who had been about to follow, hung back as retching sounds met his ears. He hated going anywhere near vomiting people, mostly because his heightened sense of smell made it much more nightmarish for him than others.

A couple walking by looked between him and the alley, and the woman gave him a disapproving look. He shrugged it off and waited patiently for Sakura to be done. He had knelt with her while battle raged around them, his hands covered in her blood; he could be excused stepping aside while she threw up all the alcohol she had consumed that night.

Eventually she came stumbling out, hand pressed to her forehead, visibly shaking. He sighed heavily and crouched down in front of her. "Jump on." She looked at him for a moment, as if considering it a trap, before blinking slowly. She wiped her hand across her pale face and nodded. She climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms lightly around his shoulders and resting her forehead on the back of his neck. He gripped her thighs lightly, noting the firm muscles under her smooth skin. He shook himself mentally, telling himself now was definitely not the time, and leapt off towards her house.

Kakashi slipped in through Sakura's open window and gently pried her arms away from his neck, letting her slip from him onto the bed. She flopped backwards, arms above her head, with a loud groan. Kakashi left her there and made his way through the small apartment to the kitchen. He glanced around at the simple lay out, noticing a pile of medical research files on her small coffee table and smiling at the massively fluffy pink slippers next to it. His nose picked up traces of Naruto and Sai, but that was to be expected. A small vase of sunflowers sat on the counter, with a little note attached. Glancing back to the bedroom to make sure she hadn't followed him, he flicked open the note, wandering if perhaps she already had a boyfriend.

Forehead,

Thanks for helping out at the shop the other day after Shikamaru bailed (ass), you totally saved me! Looking forward to tomorrow night. Who knows, maybe we'll find you a man!

Ino

He grinned, placing the note back and filling up a glass of water. Maybe this mission wouldn't be that hard. He had been wondering how he was going to seduce her in the first place. It wasn't that he had any doubt in his ability, his track record his was more than enough to prove him capable, but he knew she would be wary of the age difference and she was definitely quick to anger. If she was looking, however, maybe he could be just what she needed? He sat on the edge of the bed and nudged the snoring kunoichi in the hip. She awoke with a snort and blinked around the room.

"You're a terrible ninja," he admonished with a smile. He offered her the glass and after struggling into a sitting position she folded her arms. "I want more wine." He shook his head and held the glass in front of her face. She sighed and accepted it, gulping the liquid down like she hadn't drank in days. He chuckled softly, and her eyes widened as she glanced around.

"You're in my room." She stated.

"Correct."

She continued to look at him like it was the most ludicrous thing she had ever heard of. He couldn't help grinning at her. It was obvious by the look in her eyes she was uncomfortable with him being there, but for some reason he found it amusing. Considering she could punch him through the three storeys of her building it probably had something to do with his masochistic streak. He lay back on the bed, hands under his head, and smiled up at her.

"How are you feeling?" A blush crept up her cheeks and she averted her eyes from him. His grin widened.

"Like crap," she muttered. He hummed understandingly and said no more. Finally her eyes snapped back to him and narrowed almost accusingly. "Why aren't you drunk?" she demanded.

He shrugged as best he could in his current position. "Age, experience..."

Her eyes narrowed at him suspiciously.

"What?"

"Nothing," she mumbled, "just seems a lot comes down to those traits lately."

He blinked at her. Guessing it was probably a completely unrelated issue, and stamping the images of a pink haired woman in a silk yukata saying, "teach me, sensei," from his head, he stretched out then sat up with a huff. "Suppose I should be off. Want me to refill that for you before I go?"

She nodded, holding the glass out to him. He took it from her, making sure his fingers slid across hers as he did so. He tried not to laugh as her eyes focused on his hand before snapping up to his face questioningly. He gave her what he hoped was his best I'm-innocent eye crinkling smile before making his way back to the kitchen.

After setting the full glass on the small table next to her bed, he helped her shuffle under the covers and patted her head lightly. She groaned and pushed his hand away. Chuckling, he turned to the window. "You're going to be in a lot of pain tomorrow, Sakura-chan. Don't drink coffee in the morning, have some orange juice."

She gave a muffled response and her breathing became deeper almost immediately. He watched her for a few seconds, before climbing out of the window and jumping onto the roof. There was a pleasant breeze blowing through Konoha and the moon was high and bright. Summer was in full swing and the sounds of thousands of insects could be heard from the forest that surrounded them. He glanced up at the lit Hokage monument, eyes resting on the face of his old sensei, before taking off across the rooves. He was eager for bed, looking forward to a quick, cooling shower beforehand. Tomorrow he would have to start thinking up ways to woo his little student. Never one for all that old romantic crap, he was going to have to think up something fun that wouldn't seem too obvious. He supposed the most they did outside of missions was sparring and dinner with their other two teammates. He guessed if he was to start small, it should be sparring and then dinner with just the two of them? Although, Naruto never passed up an opportunity to eat. Or train for that matter. It wasn't as much as getting time alone with Sakura than getting the blonde knucklehead out of their hair. He made a sharp right and headed off towards the home of Tenzou, hoping his kohai wouldn't give him splinters for interrupting his sleep again

Sakura hissed violently at the onslaught of sunlight through her window. Kakashi had apparently neglected to close the curtains for her. She groaned loudly, hoping memories of last night would have been erased, or at least blurred in her mind, but no. Everything was replaying in her head in annoyingly crystal clarity. She could not believe she had allowed herself to get in such a state, and to make matters worse, her sensei had seen her throw up. Mind you, she thought, he wasn't exactly quick to help. She sighed and forced herself to sit up. Still, he had helped her home, which was pretty nice of him. She threw the blankets off and stumbled out of her bedroom in desperate need of a shower. She could still smell alcohol and faint traces of vomit about her and dragged a hand through her hair with a sigh.

She stepped under the hot water and began her usual routine. She guessed she was already late reporting to the Hokage tower, but for once she didn't care, deciding to take her time relishing in the heat of the water and the feel of soapy bubbles sliding down her skin. What a night. She wondered what had become of the others. No doubt Ino would fill her in on everything she had missed later. As she flipped the switch to boil water for her usual morning coffee she vaguely remembered Kakashi mentioning juice. She eyed the container in her fridge. Surely coffee cured all ills? Thinking he probably had more hangovers in his life than she had, she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and flipped the boiler off.

By the time she reached the tower, Sakura was feeling a little better. Three glasses of juice had definitely helped and she strolled into the Hokage's office with a smile on her face. She rolled her eyes at the site of the leader of their village slouched over her desk moaning expletives at a disgruntled Shizune. "Oh Sakura, thank the First, can you run these over to the hospital for me?" Sakura accepted the scrolls and left Shizune to wake up their shishou, definitely not envious of the kunoichi's task.

While she was there, Sakura leant a hand to the busy medics, fixing up some of the minor injuries and sorting through some admin material. She enjoyed the company at the hospital and they were always appreciative of her help. She still remembered her first week there, feeling so useless and overwhelmed, but over the last 7 years she had made a reputation for herself and being in that place of healing made her feel that her life was worth something. It had been a great boost to her self-esteem and she had made many friends there.

Around lunch Sakura strolled into the same cafe she always went to, being a big fan of their daifuku. She sat at the usual table outside and two minutes later she smiled up at the server as he placed a plate of ichigo daifuku in front of her.

"Good afternoon, Shumei. Thanks!"

He smiled back at her and strolled over to another table to take an order. Sakura pulled apart the sweet mochi treat, eating the strawberry with a happy sigh.

"Hey, forehead." She grunted her greeting as Ino sat opposite her. "Man, I was such a mess this morning..." Sakura nodded, indicating she knew the feeling, and offered her friend a daifuku. Ino passed, explaining her inability to face food yet, and proceeded to fill Sakura in on last night's events.

"Oh, and you won't believe what Hinata did! It was amazing! She actually got on the table and danced. Like, on the table!" Sakura choked slightly from laughing.

"You're kidding?"

"Nope! We seriously need to get her drunk more often."

"I dunno," Sakura shuddered slightly, "that wine may taste amazing but damn..."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, I haven't felt this wrecked in years."

"I thought you young things would bounce right back." Sakura jumped slightly at her old sensei's sudden appearance.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

He slumped into an empty chair beside her, smiling at her from the look in his eye. "Thought I'd see how you were." She slapped his hand away from her daifuku and huffed.

"Oh, come on, after last night surely you won't deny me a sweet treat." Glaring at the amused lilt to his voice, she waved her permission and he took one of the sweet rice balls.

"Umm.." Sakura caught the look on Ino's face and sighed. "He made sure I got home."

"Oh?" Sakura ignored the question in her friend's voice and watched as Kakashi broke the ball apart to get to the strawberry filling.

"So apparently your retarded way of eating comes from your sensei." Kakashi looked up at the blonde confused, before glancing at Sakura's massacred daifuku.

"Strawberries are tasty," he said with a shrug. Sakura pretended to be interested in what Ino was saying about eating like children whilst watching Kakashi closely out of the corner of her eye. He was being surreptitious about the whole process but she was determined this would be it, nothing would distract her from-

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Her eyes flicked briefly to a grinning Naruto that had just appeared beside her. Realising instantly what had just happened, she turned so quickly towards Kakashi she was surprised her neck didn't snap. He looked up at her innocently and she glared accusingly at the empty shell of rice. "How the hell do you do that?"

"Do what, Sakura-chan?"

She gave him her most icy stare and deliberately put her back to him and his light chuckle.

"So, I hear Hinata was quite interesting last night," she said.

Naruto scratched his head with a grin. "I thought it was pretty funny."

"Hey Naruto, Yamato is looking for you."

"Huh?" Naruto fixed his sensei with a dumb look that was pure him, before breaking out into a determined grin. "Yes! Time to train!" Without bothering to say goodbye, he vanished. Sakura shook her head and broke apart another daifuku.

"Maybe you should think of some training too," Sakura paused with the strawberry half way to her mouth to regard the silver-haired jounin's pointed stare. "Excuse me?" she asked, voice low.

He creased his eye at her and held his hands up. "Well Naruto and Sai are off doing stuff, maybe you and I should do some training?" She popped her food into her mouth and shrugged. "Fair enough. I have to go back to the tower for a bit but I can be done by three. Usual grounds?"

He smiled up at her and nodded before vanishing in a puff of smoke. "Yunno," Ino mused, "I really do want to know what he's hiding under that mask... He isn't that much older, and I do have these things on my side." She indicated to her two biggest advantages and Sakura stood up.

"Ino, seriously, anyone but my sensei."

"He isn't your sensei anymore," the blonde teased. Sakura rolled her eyes and headed off to what she was hoping was a happier Tsunade.

"Hatake." Genma slapped his younger friend on the shoulder as he jogged up. He had been looking for the man all day but as usual, Kakashi had been so far undetectable. The man barely registered Genma's appearance, grunting his hello and continuing to read Icha Icha.

"So, what's the plan?"

Kakashi shrugged, "with what?"

"Your mission, come on man, I have some free time and I'm bored."

Kakashi sighed and pointedly continued reading. Genma stuck his hands in his pockets and continued to walk beside him in silence. He knew the secret to getting Hatake to talk. Kakashi usually just ignored people until they went away, but Genma knew more than talking, he couldn't stand people hovering around him. It took ten minutes before Kakashi snapped his book shut with an exaggerated sigh and glared at his grinning comrade.

"Do you have a particular suggestion you wish to share?"

"Medics."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him. "Thing is, I noticed Shizune will fight back all advances I make at conversation except one. Get her talking about the stuff she does at the hospital and she'll drop her guard."

"You managed to sleep with Shizune?" Genma chuckled before noting the genuine surprise on Kakashi's face. "Hey, I am good."

"No, then."

Genma snorted, a difficult feat with a senbon aimed at the back of your throat. It was true though. He had fully intended to take the feisty medic home that night but a combination of being too drunk to even walk and being intrigued by her ability to switch back and to between teasing slights and extreme annoyance had stopped his advances. Instead he had spent most of the night just chatting until she and Kurenai had gone home.

"We're both dealing with women who have the ability to either slip us poison or beat the crap out of us. On top of that, they are both so close to the Hokage that we would be killed if we don't play our cards right. I know this is a mission, but I bet if she thinks you're going about it in the wrong way I have no doubt the crazy bat would pummel you."

Kakashi grunted his agreement.

"So, we're in this together!" Genma gave his friend his brightest smile. Kakashi just fixed him with an uninterested eye and opened his book again.

"Alright fine, but you'll want my help eventually." Genma made the hand seals and flickered onto a nearby roof before sitting down with a huff. He was going to have to come up with something to sway Shizune. Somehow he didn't think flowers were going to cut it. He eyed the Yamanaka flower shop. It was a place to start, if nothing else.


	4. Floral Misunderstandings

Chapter 4: Floral misunderstandings

Sakura shut the door and leant against it with a heavy sigh. She loved her shishou, but the woman could be merciless and had run her off her feet. She honestly could not face the prospect of training right then but she had told Kakashi she would and as bad as she felt she knew she would feel worse if she didn't go. She sighed heavily and slowly made her way to training ground three. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't there yet. She sat down with a huff, eyeing the three wood posts to her left. That first bell test felt like forever ago. She smiled, remembering how obnoxious she had thought Naruto was. She still did, but if someone had told her back then he would become one of the dearest people in her life she would have probably punched them. She thought about Sasuke and how he had been before he left. Moody, yes, but always there for his comrades. She shook her head slightly. It wouldn't do to dwell on those thoughts, so she lay back and adopted one of Shikamaru's favourite pastimes and watched the clouds overhead.

She wasn't sure how long she had dozed off for, but she woke with a start as a shuriken landed three inches away from her head. She leapt up and into a nearby tree. She knelt down, trying to make herself as small a target as possible, looking around for her assailant. How the hell would an enemy get into the village without an alarm being raised? The wind rustled the leaves around her and she listened intently. She had a brief second to recognise the whistle of an approaching kunai before leaping away and racing through the trees. She leapt behind a tree forming the hand signs for a clone, and sent it off in the opposite direction, hoping it would prove a good enough distraction.

She ran towards the small river and leaped back into the trees, choosing a particularly leafy one to hide in. She crouched on the branch and focused on her surroundings. The area was quiet. She could hear birds in the distance and the wind had picked up a bit. Glancing at the sky, she noticed the sun was sinking closer to the horizon and a blanket of grey clouds was approaching from the south. The last thing she needed was to be caught out in a storm. A particularly violent gust of wind tore through the tree she was in and several things happened at once. Her eyes widened as she saw the shuriken flying towards her, and a stray strand of pink hair got whipped across her eyes. She cursed and did the only thing she could think of; threw herself backwards off the tree.

She felt the air shift above her as the shuriken went flying past and attempted to twist her feet under her before she hit the ground. Unfortunately, she misjudged the distance; as well as the ground. She gasped as the cool water enveloped her and spluttered as it flooded her airway. Not knowing where the next assault would come from, but certain the attacker would take advantage of her exposed position, she did the only thing she could think of and slammed her fist into the river bed.

Water exploded upwards and the ground around the bank collapsed with a roar. She stood up preparing for an attack, but froze in astonishment. She didn't know whether to scream in frustration or laugh. There, buried up to his chest in rubble and reminiscent of the second bell test, was the legendary Copy Ninja, with the most astonished look she had ever seen in his eye.

"Sakura.."

She put her hands on her hips and scowled. "Are you serious?" she demanded, "I thought I was being attacked!"

"That was the point. Besides, if I really had been trying to kill you do you think that first shuriken would have missed? You were asleep."

Sakura continued to glare at him and realised he was right. No self-respecting ninja would have missed that shot, and she had been expecting him for training. Trying to hide her embarrassment, she stalked over to him, grabbed him by the flak jacket, and yanked him free. He stood there, apparently still dumbfounded, and she smirked while dusting him off. "Thought you'd be used to that by now?"

"I'm used to seeing you doing it to other shinobi..."

She grinned and walked out of the crumpled earth to stand on the grass. "I tell you what," she said, eyeing him mischievously, "we'll just use taijutsu, and I'll refrain from using chakra. Wouldn't want to break you, sensei." He huffed and went over to join her.

"All the chakra infused punches in the world won't help if you can't catch me."

She shrugged nonchalantly, "I like my odds."

He flew at her, and she barely had time to suck in air before leaping away. She brought her elbow up to block his punch and was reminded as she always was while sparring with him that he wasn't considered one of the Leaf's top shinobi without good reason. His speed blew her away every time and always reminded her of the fact her perverted, irritating, withdrawn and sometimes goofy old teacher was in fact, lethal. She threw her own punch, making sure to bring her leg up in anticipation of his kick, but was back on the defence almost instantly. She leapt back, growling as he rushed her again, giving her no time to think. Just when she thought she was beginning to catch up to his level he would remind her exactly why he was so revered. She felt her temper rise and made an uncalculated swing at his head, resulting in a jab to her side she couldn't quite block quick enough. She jumped into a tree for a brief respite, reminding herself to stay calm.

"What's wrong, Sakura-chan?"

She heard the amusement in his voice and clenched her fist. No. She told herself firmly. This was how he got her every time. The fact was, she could keep up with him. Only enough to defend, sure, but they both knew he would tire before she did, so this is what he did. He riled her up and forced her to make mistakes as her temper got the better of her. She let out a deep breath and leapt lightly from the tree.

She smiled sweetly and beckoned him forward. His eye creased in a smile and he was on top of her. For ten minutes he reined blows upon her, and to her credit, she blocked every one. Her muscles were starting to burn but she knew her stamina was her advantage here, especially without putting chakra into her blows. This way she conserved energy until she had an opening. She managed to smack one of his fists away and grinned fiercely. He was slowing down. She faked a left blow and with a triumphant cry brought her right fist flying into his stomach.

There was a crash and with a gasp she found herself face down on the grass, blinking stupidly at an insect her forehead had narrowly missed squashing. She turned her head to stare in amazement over her shoulder at the silver-haired, masked jounin sitting on her back. He chuckled at her expression and got off her. She stood up and straightened her shirt, attempting to remain calm.

"You pretended to be slowing down."

"I pretended to be slowing down."

She had a feeling Kakashi was grinning at her behind that mask. She rubbed her temples soothingly and took a few deep breaths.

He held up his hands up in a placating gesture and gave her his best and brightest eye creasing smile. "I brought a snack?"

Her stomach rumbled in anticipation and she laughed apologetically. He beckoned her to follow him and they settled against the posts. She sat in front of the same one she had as a child, Kakashi taking Naruto's spot as if it would be bad karma to sit where Sasuke had. She put the late Uchiha to the back of her mind and accepted a sticky rice ball with a small "thank you."

They sat in silence while they ate, Sakura keeping an eye on the approaching clouds. When he finished Kakashi rubbed his hands together and leant against the post, clearly satisfied. She rolled her eyes, realising that her fretting over the weather had provided him plenty of opportunity to eat without her noticing.

"Damn," she sighed, wondering why she was even considering he would show her his face after all these years. Kakashi looked at her questioningly and she gestured to him with a flippant wave of her hand. She saw the material of his mask shift and knew he was smiling in understanding.

"Why is it so important?" He mused.

She laughed. "Honestly I'm not sure, but your face is like one of the great mysteries of our nation - probably most of the others too."

His eye creased in amusement and she turned to look back at the sky.

"Looks like I'm going to get real wet."

"Sorry?"

She turned back to a wide-eyed Kakashi. He seemed quite taken aback by her comment and she had no idea why.

"The storm."

"Oh." He gave a small chuckle as he eyed the fast approaching clouds.

"I don't get why-" Sakura gave a small gasp and tried to cover her blush by turning away from him. He wasn't seriously that perverted, surely? Then again, given his Icha Icha addiction, she wouldn't put it past him.

"Something wrong, Sakura-chan?"

"No." To her horror her voice sounded thoroughly unconvincing and she winced, hoping he hadn't noticed.

Apparently she wasn't so lucky.

"Ah Sakura, no need to be so mortified. A little humour between friends is fine." She had the feeling if she turned around to face him his eye would be crinkled merrily at her.

"There is humour and then there is being a pervert."

She heard him give a small laugh and she glared at the oncoming storm as if she could evaporate the clouds with sheer willpower.

"You were the one that said it."

"You were the one that took it out of context." She finally turned around to find him lying on the ground, hands behind his head, rather like he had been sprawled out over her bed last night. She felt her cheeks warm slightly. "You're getting too comfortable around me. I wouldn't forget how strong I am if you value your manhood." She growled the last part, hoping to add a little emphasis to the statement.

He cocked an eyebrow up at her and simply said, "My manhood, Sakura-chan?"

She looked away quickly. He had a point, what the hell was she doing saying things like that? Maybe she was the one becoming too comfortable around him? They saw a lot of each other being on the same team and all, but now that she thought about it, she never spent much time just with him. There were a few times where they would run into each other, but she was pretty sure today was the longest amount of time it had been just the two of them. Maybe she had been growing accustomed to him all that time without realising, because there was no doubt in her mind if any other man had said those things she probably would have just hit him by now. Although, Naruto was the guy she was closest to in the world and she would have hit him too. Confused, she shook her head and turned back to him. She had intended to apologise for being inappropriate, but the words caught in her throat as her eyes met his. He was laughing at her. Not out loud, but it showed in that dark eye. She stood, fully intending to punch the ground at his feet. The first rumble of thunder stilled her fist and she glanced at the rapidly darkening sky. She turned back to face him, a smile curving her lips.

"You're right," she said, feigning a sigh, "we probably shouldn't be talking about something so out of use, might get its hopes up; if nothing else."

Kakashi sat up so fast her eyes couldn't follow the movement. His voice was low as he asked, "excuse me?"

She gave a shrug, trying to suppress her burgeoning laughter so as not to ruin her pretend nonchalance. "Well you're no spring chicken. Plenty of younger, fitter boys in the world, wouldn't want to make it jealous."

He folded his arms across his chest and glared at her. "There are a lot of women in this village that would attest otherwise. Age procures experience, after all."

She snorted and waved a hand at him dismissively. "It's all down to stamina."

"I think I proved I have plenty of that earlier. You did lose our little spar, as I recall."

She glared at him then quickly fixed her face into a more indifferent expression. "That's not where it counts."

"And where does it count, Sakura-chan?" The amused lilt was back in his voice. She felt the first drops of rain on her bare arms and smiled at him as sweetly as she could.

"Wouldn't you like me to show you, sensei." She just had time to notice a flicker of emotion pass through his eye, the slight rise to his eyebrow, before forming the hand signs and vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Kakashi sat in the steadily increasing rain, dumbstruck. It had been a day. One day. How had he tapped into this side of Sakura in one day? How had she kept this side of her from him for so long? More importantly, why couldn't he shake the image page seventy-three of Tactics always put in his mind when the girl sits on the protagonists lap in the formal silk yukuta and whispers in her sensei's ear?

"Let me show you what I have learnt, sensei..."

Even more worrying, why did she suddenly have pink hair? Kakashi turned his face upwards into the downpour and found his mind clearing. Pink, the colour young girls loved. His former student, despite being a lot more feisty than he thought, was still that little, pink-haired girl he had helped train. Of course, she clearly wasn't thinking like a girl. She didn't particularly look like a girl anymore, either...

"She is not a woman," he scolded himself. You could make her one, the part of his mind that had Jiraiya's voice whispered.

"Mate, you could make her one." Kakashi's head snapped round and he was on his feet before he was aware of leaving the ground. He relaxed when a laughing Genma jumped out of a nearby tree.

He whistled above the rain and wind, holding his arm up to shield his eyes. "Little pinky seems to be getting to you then." Kakashi wanted nothing more than to punch his old friend in the face.

"She has pink hair," he deadpanned, as if that explained everything.

Genma rubbed the back of his head. "Well, yeah..."

Kakashi shook his wet hair out of his eye. "Why are you here?"

"Was on my way home when I saw you. What the hell are you doing lying in the middle of a field in this?"

Kakashi shrugged in answer before disappearing, leaving smoke and a flurry of leaves behind.

When he had showered and made himself some tea at home, he fell onto his couch and stared accusingly and the blue book in his hand. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to read it. After the third attempt it was obvious to him the woman in the novel was adamantly refusing to change her hair colour back to the soft brown Jiraiya described it as. He sighed, rubbing his head, and glanced at the clock. It was far too early to go to bed, but with the rain and wind lashing against his windows the prospect of going anywhere else was hardly appealing. He glanced towards his still door-less bedroom and decided it was too far. He sank down onto the couch and closed his eyes.

What was he going to do about Sakura? He had absolutely no idea how to approach the situation. Somehow he felt like the occasional cheeky spar wouldn't be enough to convince her that jumping into bed with her much older sensei was a good idea. Actually paying for her at Ichiraku would probably just make her suspicious. Which meant offering to take her out for dinner elsewhere would probably just scare her off completely. Flowers just seemed stupid to him and he wasn't keen on that blonde girl prying into his business if he went and bought some. She was quite a riddle. He had a feeling some of the expected romantic gestures would appeal to the girl in her but he didn't want to do that. If he started doing all those silly things she would both get the wrong idea and think he was after something more or pummel him within an inch of his life. Personally he would prefer the latter.

What he needed was some common ground. Something they could bond over. He had a feeling what Genma had said about engaging her in some medic talk would work, but his knowledge in that field was pretty limited and he had a tendency of letting his mind wander when he wasn't particularly interested in the conversation. Somehow he didn't think that would impress her too much. Plus he really didn't want to be admitting to Genma somewhere down the line that he followed the idiot's advice and got laid because of it. What he really needed to do was talk to the people in Sakura's life that knew the little things about her in the subtlest way possible. He suspected Naruto would be most clued in but the boy would be out of town for at least a week and he couldn't leave it that long before he even began; he was on a short enough timeline as it was. Tsunade would have been a good person to get information from, especially as she knew what he was trying to do, but he honestly didn't want to see the woman in fear of what he might say. Disrespecting the Hokage was not wise at the best of times, and the Godaime was in a league of her own.

Shizune.

He blinked up at the ceiling. She knew about the mission, had been supportive enough, and spent a lot of time with Sakura at the hospital. She'd be able to give him some idea's around Sakura's interests, things to do with her without coming on too strong, and could even give him a quick lesson in the basics of whatever Sakura was researching at the moment. It was brilliant!

He sat up, almost excited to be doing something, then paused as a particularly loud crash of thunder sounded outside.

"Ah, tomorrow."

He glanced again into his bedroom and deciding it still wasn't worth the effort, slumped back onto the couch. He would probably regret it in the morning.

He did.

He stretched, wincing as his spine cracked in a few places and scowling as he tried to massage the ache out of his shoulder. He cursed his laziness under his breath and trudged towards the shower. If he wanted favours from Shizune the least he could do was appear presentable. Yep, that was the only reason he spent an extra thirty seconds trying to fix his hair into some semblance of a style before sighing and leaving it in its usual stuck up, spiked position. It had nothing to do with the fact he may run into a pink haired kunoichi. He rolled his eyes at his reflection. He supposed if he was meant to be seducing he should be putting in some effort. Then again, that wasn't him, and if he was going to go through with it the Hokage would be damned if he was going to go out of his way. More so than what this so called 'mission' required anyway.

He closed the door, stuffed his hands in his pockets and traipsed down the stairs, pausing at the entrance of his building to pick up an umbrella. He ignored the surprised looks and the few smirks he got and shook off the umbrella as he stepped into the hospital. He sidled up to the nurses' station, creasing his eye in what he knew was considered charming and casually leant on the desk.

"Good morning," he smiled.

"H-Hatake-senpai!" The young girl before him gave a squeak of surprise before regaining her professional composure. "How can I help you this morning?" Her gaze flickered over him confused, obviously wondering if he was concealing some injury.

"Is Shizune-san available?"

"Um, she actually just started, should be around the staff room."

"Thanks." He smiled and waved, ignoring the curiosity in her gaze as he made his way to the staff room in the back. He leant against the door for a few seconds, watching as Shizune shut her locker looking bemused.

"Oh!" She looked startled as she realised she was being watched. "Kakashi..." she looked him over before asking, "are you hurt?"

"Nope."

"Ok... why are you willingly in the hospital then?"

He chuckled and wandered in, sinking into the couch with a comfortable sigh.

"You realise this is a staff room right?" Shizune asked with a roll of her eyes.

When he patted the couch next to her she wandered over, eyes wide. She gestured to a small vase next to the sink containing two deep orange roses and looked at him apprehensively.

"That wasn't you, right..?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "You wouldn't want flowers from me?"

She snorted. "Somehow I don't see you as the type of man that would leave roses in my locker."

Kakashi smiled in response and watched her shift uncomfortably.

"Orange represents sexual desire, huh?" he asked.

Shizune stared at him in disbelief. He chuckled, realising if he wanted a favour from her he probably shouldn't tease. "No, not from me."

She sighed, "thank the First..."

"Well, I suppose being that undesirable I should just go home."

She waved a hand at him dismissively. "Sorry, just a little uneasy."

"I thought women liked things like that?"

She shrugged. "It's kind of sweet, I suppose, but personally I prefer the direct approach, none of this tiptoeing around the point."

"A flower that says 'I want sex' is tiptoeing around the point?"

"A flower with no name attached is," she grumbled.

"I'll keep it in mind."

"So," she said brusquely, "what's with the visit?"

"Well," he scratched his chin thoughtfully, "I was hoping you could help me out."

"With Sakura?" He nodded and she gave him a small smile.

"I don't have too much time right now, but if you want we can head to the bar tonight and come up with some strategy?"

Kakashi gave her his best smile and she laughed. "Honestly Kakashi, what's the point of trying to win people over with smiles if they can't see your face?"

"If you know I'm smiling it still works."

She rolled her eyes and stood up, eyeing the roses uncertainly. "Do you know anything about those?" He shook his head, even though he had a vague idea. She hummed softly and waved over her shoulder as she left. Kakashi stood up and stretched, wondering what to do with the rest of the day.

Sakura grumbled miserably as she ran to the hospital. She hated rainy days, especially when she had to be somewhere. She supposed if she had just given in her progress report a few days earlier like she was going to she could have stayed in bed and read a book while the rain pattered lazily against her window, but no, she had gone out, got drunk and completely forgot about it until she had got home last night and noticed it spread out on her coffee table.

She cursed loudly as she ran into someone in the entrance, ducking around them with a hurried apology. They grabbed her arm to stop her running off, and she rounded on them with a snarl.

"What are-oh." She blinked water out of her eyes and smiled sheepishly up at her team captain. "Sorry, in a bit of a hurry."

"So I can see," he mused. She stared up at him, a little uncomfortable. Between breaks on her report last night she had been wondering if perhaps she had been a bit out of line yesterday. She had never initiated that kind of conversation with him before and she wasn't sure how he had taken it, not sticking around to find out. Deciding she should probably excuse herself, she paused with her mouth open, eyes on his umbrella.

"What is that?" She pointed, incredulous.

"An umbrella?" Kakashi held it up so she could see it better, and she continued to stare at him.

"I understand. Given the drowned look you're sporting, you've probably never seen one before," he said. She glared at him, scraping her wet hair from her face and huffing sulkily.

"I lost mine and haven't bought another yet, alright?" He grinned at her and held it out. "What?" She demanded.

"I don't mind getting a little wet," he said.

She felt a small blush grace her cheeks as her words from yesterday came back to her, and she took it from him gingerly, spreading the bright pink material outwards a little bit to see the pattern upon it. "A cartoon rabbit," she stated. "You stole some poor little girl's umbrella, and now you're giving it to me. If I get attacked by an angry six year old later I will be coming after you."

He chuckled merrily and turned to the door. "I'll see you at Ichiraku at lunchtime." She watched him step into the rain, hands in his pockets, before remembering why she was in the hospital in the first place.

She found Shizune, unsurprisingly, in the poisons division. "Heya!"

The medic smiled at her, putting down a sample and beckoning her towards the staff room.

"I got the progress report on those weapons."

"Oh yes, how's it looking?"

Sakura sighed heavily, slumping into a chair with a thoroughly defeated expression. Shizune sighed and sat down on the couch.

"Honestly, I feel like I said exactly the same thing in the last report. The only way of fixing it is to yank it out and hope we get chakra in the wound quick enough to heal it effectively and as for organ damage..." Skaura shrugged. A few weeks ago a chuunin had come into the hospital after a clash with enemy ninja with several kunai in his back. The first two were pulled out swiftly and with ease, however, when the supporting medic tried to speedily remove the third, the young shinobi was left with a massive chunk of his body missing. Everyone had frozen in panic until Tsunade had stepped in. It took seven medics and all of their chakra to bring him back from the edge of death, but it hadn't been enough to save his severed spinal cord, and the teenage chuunin would never be walking again.

The kunai had showed up in several other Leaf shinobi over the last few weeks, and several had died. These new kunai were longer and thinner than the usual kind, meaning they penetrated the body deeper. The worst part, however, was what they did after they entered the body. A mechanism was triggered on impact and half the blade would split, forming four prongs inside the body. Not only did this do considerable damage, but it created a barb like scenario and pulling the kunai out was treacherous. Tsunade had organised a few teams to do some recon in nearby towns and villages, and given Sakura the task of finding a safe way of removing the weapons from their injured comrades. It was proving much more difficult that she imagined.

"Nothing I think of would work without there being a bucket load of damage to the patients."

Shizune cursed quietly. The two women sat in a glum silence for a few minutes before Sakura decided she didn't want a think about it anymore. "Who are those for?" She pointed to some roses next to the sink and Shizune gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Actually, I keep finding them in my locker."

"Really?" Sakura grinned at her. A secret admirer, how cute! Shizune was picking at her uniform and glaring at the flowers as if their very presence had wronged her in some way.

"You don't like them?"

Shizune huffed. "Orange. So whoever sent them is basically saying all they want from me is sex. That's hardly the romantic gesture a girl wants from flowers."

Sakura shrugged and stood up. "Boys don't do the flower arranging classes in the academy. Whoever it was probably just assumed all girls like roses and didn't think much on the colour."

"It's a pretty generic flower," Shizune scoffed.

Sakura giggled, making her way to the door. "All roses mean some kind of love, at the end of the day." She waved and disappeared through the door, giggling at the accusatory look Shizune was now giving the flowers.

She spent a little time with the Hokage, handing in a copy of the report for her too and discussing it thoroughly. By the time she stepped into Ichiraku ramen, shaking the umbrella, her brain was considerably fried. She sat down with a huff and ordered some pork ramen, partly because she felt like it but mostly because she was missing Naruto. She wondered how he and Yamato would be doing out in this weather, and hoped they weren't pushing themselves too hard.

Ayame set the bowl in front of her with a smile and Sakura took an appreciative breath, her mouth watering at the delicious smell. Not that she would ever admit it to Naruto, but she really did love ramen. It had grown on her over the years, the amount of times they had ended up here, but given her initial derisive attitude towards the stuff in the old genin days she kept it to herself.

She looked around as someone else entered, and smiled at the lazy wave Shikamaru gave her. He looked, if it was possible, even more fed up than usual.

"Hi, how are you?"

He grunted.

"Oook..." He ordered and they sat in silence, Sakura not entirely sure what to say. She was spared striking up an awkward conversation, however, by the arrival of Kakashi.

"Hi, sensei!" She smiled at him brightly and he faltered, clearly unsure of why she was being so enthusiastic. She rolled her eyes and indicated he sit down, which he did, eyes still on her warily.

"Relax, jeeze, I'm just happy to see you," she grumbled around a mouthful of noodles. He creased his eye at her, ordered, and fiddled with his chopsticks in silence. Sakura shook her head, not sure whether to be frustrated or amused. How had she ended up eating lunch with the two quietest people in Konoha? She settled on amused, and let out a small snort of laughter. Kakashi eyed her quizzically and she just shook her head.

When Shikamaru's food arrived, he nodded in thanks, breaking his chopsticks in half a little more violently than necessary, and began stabbing at a piece of egg. Sakura rolled her eyes and placed her bowl down.

"Wow, aren't we merry rays of sunshine." Both men looked at her. She suppressed another eye roll and decided she would have more luck with Shikamaru than Kakashi.

"What's your problem?" She demanded. He glowered at her before popping the mutilated egg in his mouth. "Look, either tell me, or I'll set Ino on you." She grinned triumphantly as his body tensed and he placed his chopsticks down with a sigh.

"I did something stupid." Sakura snorted disbelievingly. "No, really." He sighed heavily, hands stretched out on his knees, as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with them. He was glaring at his ramen as he spoke, as though looking for something to blame.

"Ok, what?" She had to admit she was pretty interested. Something she had picked up from Ino over the years. Ino liked to call it taking an interest in people's lives and stories, but Sakura didn't like to live in denial, she knew gossip when she heard it.

He shot her a furtive glance before heaving another sigh. "From a girl's perspective, if we had sex and I left before you woke up and then went out of my way to avoid you for two days, what would you do?" Sakura felt Kakashi shift behind her.

"Umm, if we had sex?"

"Hypothetically."

Sakura tugged on the ends of her hair, starting to regret even asking, but she had and if he was willing to share, she supposed the least she could do was to help him out.

"Well, I mean, I'd like to think we're sort of friends-" she paused in case she had presumed too much but Shikamaru nodded in agreement- "so I guess it would hurt a little that you wouldn't want to at least talk about it." She shrugged, unsure of whether she was being helpful.

"Ok," he was looking at the table thoughtfully. Sakura thought that must have been good enough, so she turned back to her ramen. After a few seconds of silence, however, he spoke up again.

"What if it was Naruto?" Sakura choked.

"What?" She demanded.

"What if you had slept with Naruto, and it was him avoiding you?"

She turned incredulous eyes on him. "That would never happen."

"He wouldn't avoid you?"

"No," she snapped, "I would never sleep with him!"

Shikamaru sighed, "that's what I thought too.."

Sakura stared at him. "You never thought you'd sleep with... Naruto?"

Shikamaru looked at her in condescending disbelief and she heard Kakashi chuckle softly behind her.

"I never thought I would sleep with the person I'm avoiding."

"Right, right," she giggled nervously. "Sorry."

He rolled his eyes at her and she resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. Somehow she didn't think it was very mature.

"So you slept with a friend, regret it, and are now avoiding them," Sakura summed up.

Something soft passed through Shikamaru's eyes and he gave a small shake of his head. "I don't regret it."

"Then why are you avoiding her?"

He shrugged, "I don't know what she wants. Relationships are so troublesome, but she's going to try and force one because she wouldn't be a woman if she didn't."

Sakura's eyes became tiny green slits as she fixed him with her most poisonous glare. "Excuse me?" She ground out.

Shikamaru groaned. "Come on, you know what you women are like."

Sakura clenched her fists. Somehow punching one of Konoha's top strategists in the head would probably not be in the village's best interests, but dammit if he carried on...

"How do you even know she wants a relationship if you're too busy being a coward and hiding from her?" Her voice had risen a bit, and she bit the inside of her cheek in an attempt to control her temper. "At least women have the balls to face their feelings!"

Kakashi gave a bark of laughter behind her and she whirled on him. "YOU wouldn't know feelings if they bit you on the ass!"

He rested his chin on the palm of his hand and smiled. "Actually, Sakura, I was laughing at the whole women having balls part of your sentence."

She spluttered over her words. "You! What do you- sexist bastard!"

He openly laughed and she felt her body shake with rage. She knew this conversation needed to end soon or something was going to get broken. Wether her stool or someone's bones, she wasn't yet sure. He held up his hands in the familiar gesture of peace.

"I meant anatomically, Sakura."

She forgot her anger for a second and deadpanned, "not sexist, fucking immature."

She turned away from him unable to take the mirth pouring from his eye.

"Women are capable of having sex without wanting to get married," she snapped at Shikamaru, pushing her bowl away and glaring at the bench top.

He sighed and pinched his nose. "Sorry Sakura. To be honest she's the most troublesome girl I know, and I do not want a relationship, but with her..." He let the sentence slide and she just stared at him.

"With her?" She prompted.

"Maybe it would be alright."

Sakura gave a coy smirk. "What was that about girls mixing up sex with feelings?"

He glared at her almost savagely but she just grinned at him.

"I don't want it right now," he persisted. "Maybe in a year or two, but for now I just need to know how to tell her that I'm not ashamed of it, but I need her to be my friend, not my girlfriend." He mumbled the last word like it was taboo and Sakura shook her head, smiling.

"Well, you can either keep on avoiding her, or do the mature thing and tell her. Give her some flowers to placate it a little."

He looked at her. "I am not giving a girl flowers."

She waved a hand at him, rolling her eyes. "Girls like flowers but they don't always have to be given as a symbol of love or whatever. I mean something small that emphasises friendship. A yellow rose, some pear blossom..." She shrugged at his disapproving glare. "I'm just saying, kunoichi know the language of flowers, and if you can't say it in words..."

He looked at her thoughtfully, then shook his head. "I can't."

"Ino would help you-"

"I can't," he pressed, worry etched on his face.

"Come on," she scoffed, "you two have been friends for years, I'm sure she wouldn't-" Sakura gasped. She stared at him, waiting for some kind of denial, but he crouched in on himself and wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I can't believe she didn't tell me! That PIG!"

"Sakura.."

She shook her head furiously. They were supposed to be best friends, they had seen each other yesterday and she had no problems telling her everyone else's embarrassing stories from that night and yet she had kept something this huge a secret.

Kakashi tapped her shoulder lightly, and she looked up enquiringly. "A part of growing up is learning how to deal with these kinds of situations. Perhaps Ino is just trying to sort through her own feelings before she tells anyone?"

Shikamaru was staring intently at the other man. "What do you think I should do?"

Kakashi smiled, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I'm not one for long lasting relationships myself, but Sakura's right." She looked at him surprised. "You should talk to her; find out where her head's at, before making any rash decisions like defecting to another village or something."

"Where were you when I was twelve and in need of relationship advice?" Sakura asked. He just grinned at her. She noted, with disappointment, that his food had come at some point during the conversation and his bowl was now empty. She shook her head feeling fed up.

"Cheer up, Sakura-chan," he squeezed her hand gently and she resisted the urge to turn her hand around and grip his lightly, enjoying the warmth of it. Before anything else could be said, a small pop and a curl of smoke made them all jump.

"Katsuyu?"

The slug before her was tiny compared to the size Sakura knew her to be and she squirmed restlessly on the bench. "Sakura!" Her high, breathy voice seemed panicked. "You must get to the hospital quickly! Another team has come in and one of them has been hit by one of those kunai."

Sakura swore violently, jumping to her feet.

"I'm sorry, I have to go."

She raced out of the ramen stand, praying there would be something she could do.


	5. Toads Like Beer Too

Chapter 5: Toads like beer too

"Shit..."

Sakura stood frozen as the panic escalated around her. Tsunade was barking orders at the other medics, Shizune was blinking tears from her eyes furiously as she tried to insert a drip and nurses were crowding around with gauze and clipboards and generally seeming to cause more chaos. Amongst all of this, however, Sakura's eyes had found three people standing back from the gurney.

She laid a hand on the older woman's arms and she jumped, blinking at Sakura like she couldn't really see her.

"You should wait outside."

Kurenai shook her head. Sakura eyed the two twelve-year old academy graduates behind her. They had been genin for three months and she knew they had never experienced something as horrific as this before.

"Kurenai-san, for their sake..." Kurenai turned deep red eyes on her squad and nodded, stepping out and beckoning them to follow her. The two boys shook their heads furiously. Sakura bit her lip, understanding their need to stay but knowing full well they shouldn't be in there. She was spared thinking up the kindest way to explain this to them by her shishou.

"ENOUGH! I want everyone out of this room except Shizune, Sakura and Kinuko!"

The older nurse looked terrified at being chosen to stay behind, but she swallowed and took the chart from one of her colleagues before dutifully standing beside the Fifth Hokage. Sakura tried her best to give the boys a reassuring smile but they cast worried glances towards the bed and walked out.

"I'm going to focus on organ repair, you two pump as much chakra into her body as you can, aiming for cell growth and blood production. Counter any affects of shock you can and make sure her heart keeps beating."

Sakura walked curiously over, wondering if they had managed to remove the kunai somehow, stopping short in horror. It had definitely been removed.

"What happened?"

"Kurenai said the girl panicked; she couldn't stop her in time."

Sakura's mind had frozen. Her entire being was hyper-focused on the gaping hole on the right side of the young girl's body. There was blood everywhere and something thicker draped out sickeningly. What appeared to be two ribs were sticking out at unnatural angles. She found herself shaking her head. She couldn't fix this. Even Tsunade couldn't fix this. She only had to glance at the wound to know the lung had been completely destroyed.

"Tsunade-sama..." She whispered, feeling tears form in the corner of her eyes.

"You've been told what to do, Sakura."

Barely two minutes had passed before the child's heart failed, and Sakura was delegated the task of keeping it beating, forcing the blood around the body, encouraging the one remaining lung to work. They had put her on a ventilator before she had got there, but with one lung completely gone Naho needed all the help she could get.

Sakura felt tears sliding down her cheeks. She hated feeling this helpless, but even though she had the utmost faith in her shishou, the first thing the old sannin had taught her when she entered the hospital was that sometimes the patient died, no matter what you did. Looking down at this little girl broke her heart. Was she in love with one of her teammates, like Sakura had been? Had she been planning out her first kiss, like she once did? Her mouth twitched a little at the memory of her first kiss with Kiba, of all people, but that's what she got for letting him walk her home after they had all gone out one night. Nothing had really come of it except one more experimental kiss before they both conceded there was nothing to pursue. She blinked and her tears splashed on her hands outstretched over Naho's heart. She couldn't do this, comparing herself to this girl would be suicide right now.

She wasn't sure how long they stood there, but Sakura felt the fatigue settling in and the muscles in her arms were cramping painfully when Tsunade finally took a step back.

"I can't repair it."

Shizune and Sakura looked up at her, still forcing chakra into the young girl's body. Kinuko made a soft noise in her throat and walked out of the door.

"That's enough."

Shizune stepped back, obviously struggling to remain composed. Sakura shook her head. She couldn't let this girl die. She was twelve! She didn't care that ninja died every day, or that Naho was a member of the leaf shinobi force and that this was something they were trained for, she was twelve and she needed to live.

She felt hands close over her shoulder's and pull her away gently. "Sakura, that's enough." The three medics' stood there dejectedly for a few minutes before Tsunade walked out to complete the awful task of telling the team.

Sakura and Shizune regarded each other miserably before beginning the clean up. A few of the nurses came in and satisfied they would do a better job than she could at that moment, she washed her hands and arms thoroughly and left the room. The two boys were yelling furiously, demanding they do something else, that they bring her back. Kurenai was crying softly, head in her hands. Sakura knew the jonin teachers always blamed themselves savagely when any of their team got hurt, and a death this young was just tragic. She was unsure of what to say. She often chatted to Kurenai whenever she saw her but she wasn't sure if they were close enough for Sakura to offer her any consolation right then. She bit her bottom lip but was spared the decision as Shizune sat down next to the distraught woman and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Sakura, my office."

Sakura nodded glumly and dejectedly followed her shishou. She hated this feeling. It always brought up memories of her genin days. This feeling of complete and utter failure. It didn't matter how many times Tsunade or Shizune told her this was a part of being a medic. It didn't even matter how many times she tried to convince herself she did everything she could; the uselessness engulfed her until she couldn't breathe anymore. Her breath hitched as she tried to choke back a sob.

Tsunade waved her in and shut the door with more force than necessary, before slumping into her chair and indicating Sakura should sit in the one remaining seat in front of the desk.

She heard Tsunade sigh audibly and looked up, not sure where this conversation was going to go.

"We gave it everything we could."

Sakura nodded. Somehow she didn't feel any better.

"Look, I'm sending you on a mission in a month to the resort island of Hachimitsu to gather intel on the production of these Kunai. We have a lead on a ninja-turned-merchant who is possibly selling these things but I need you on this. Genma is leaving in twelve days to recon and set up for your arrival."

Sakura nodded. It had been a while since she'd actually gone on a mission and if it would help get to the bottom of these weapons and save her fellow shinobi she would do everything she could.

"There may be things you need to do, things I wouldn't ordinarily condone..."

"Its fine, Tsunade-shishou, I'll do anything to protect my village."

Tsunade regarded her with wide eyes before giving the briefest of nods. "Well, take some time off, train and just get ready. I'll organise a mission scroll closer to the date."

Sakura gave another curt nod and stood up. It was three thirty and she was done for the day. She already felt her couch calling her name and knew she was picking up a litre of ice cream on her way home. She said farewell and left, thankful for Kakashi's random act of kindness that morning as she stared at the bunny patterned umbrella.

Kakashi waved as he entered, but apparently Shizune wasn't amused. He had genuinely tried to be on time, but when he saw he had an hour to kill he had fallen asleep. He slid into the booth opposite her and accepted the drink she pushed towards him. Given the small collection of glasses next to her, she obviously had quite a head start.

"Sorry, Shizune-san," he began, shaking his wet hair out of his eye. "A little girl in my building lost her umbrella and-"

"Don't bother, Kakashi."

He smiled and took a sip through his mask, noticing the normally lively woman in front of him seemed tense, a tightness to her eyes that wasn't usually there. He didn't push the issue, and he didn't bother starting up a conversation. She knew why he was there and would start talking in her own time, but for now she seemed content staring at the clear liquid in front of her. Anyone else would have found the situation awkward, but Kakashi was quite happy to sit across from a pretty woman and have a drink.

Eventually Shizune let out a sigh and shook her head. "Ok, look, I can't be here too long. I've had a shit day and if it was anyone but Sakura or you I wouldn't be doing this."

Kakashi nodded. He decided to hold back his usual attempts of lightening the mood. Women tended to respond to his charm well enough but for some reason he had a feeling if he even cracked one joke Shizune would be off. He also felt the usual condescending witticisms he pulled on the younger shinobi he was acquainted with probably wouldn't be appreciated now either, especially as he guessed Shizune and Sakura would have similar senses of humour. At least Shizune couldn't break him if he said the wrong thing.

"Sakura really loves what she does at the hospital. She has a variety of research projects and as long as they're not classified, she would jump at the chance to have someone listen to her. I know most of her friend's aren't interested, and only Shikamaru could really keep up with her anyway, but she loves it when her audience is attentive."

Kakashi gave a curt nod. To him, this was something all women loved and he fought the need to roll his eyes. At the back of his mind he realised Genma's advice was, in retrospect, damn obvious. Get a medic to talk about hospital related research and feign interest. No shit.

"More than anything, Sakura loves recognition. Not outwardly, of course and not exactly in the form of praise, but it makes her feel appreciated and valued, particularly given her past." Kakashi cocked an eyebrow at that last remark.

Shizune levelled him with a particularly flat look. "The whole Sasuke debacle."

Ah. Debacle was definitely the appropriate word. He knew he hadn't handled that situation properly and the devastated look on his young students face when he and Naruto had brought the only remaining Uchiha's body home was still blazed into his memory. Her eyes, ever mirrors to her emotions, had been filled with absolutely everything humanly possible to feel. He saw it all. Relief that her teammates were safe, anger they hadn't told her what they were doing, regret that she wasn't with them, sorrow that their rouge member had chosen death instead of letting his need for revenge go... More than anything, the one that had struck him at the time was the intense hopelessness that darkened the green eyes when they had lingered on Naruto. The jinchuuriki had given her a sad smile, wrapped his arms around her, and led her away. Kakashi had been perturbed, at best, but had found plenty of distraction in the mission report and organising a small funeral. The then rookies had all attended, along with himself, his team, Tenzou, the Fifth and Shizune.

After Naruto had said his final goodbye, something about bonds not being broken even by death, Sakura had stepped forward. She had placed morning glory on the grave and simply said, "I'm sorry." Her voice had held such a raw, broken edge to it that Kakashi's heart went out to her. He knew what it felt like to lose friends, but more importantly, how crushing it was to believe it was your fault. He heard it in her voice, all the shame and misery that he had been overlooking until that moment.

He had wanted to comfort her but knew she would be in good hands with Naruto, the Yamanaka girl and the other young ninja who were her friends. He had found them all the next morning around the memorial stone, clearly hung over. Despite the small amusement he felt at the rude awakening, that deeply sad look in Sakura's eyes was still there, and he wanted to get rid of it. He did the only thing he could think of, and treated her and Naruto to Ichiraku. Yes, he, the legendary Copy Nin Kakashi, had undone his tightly knotted wallet strings and bought them breakfast. They had sat in silence for the longest time, Naruto eventually being summoned by the Hokage, before Kakashi had tried lightening the mood with some humour. She had given him some small smiles, but they faded as quickly as they came and eventually he had asked, "why morning glory?" The choice of flower had stumped him, everyone else choosing the traditional white cala or rose and the dark, velvety purple had stood out against them like a deep wound on pale flesh.

"Because I couldn't help. For everything I had learnt, as far as I thought I'd come... I was still as useless to him as I was in the Land of Waves..."

It was the first time he had initiated physical contact with a teammate since his first and only clumsy kiss with Rin when he was fourteen. Besides his usual hair ruffling, of course, but he knew that wasn't what she needed at that moment. He had pulled her into a tight, but brief hug. On release, he had tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear and smiled at the evident shock on her face.

"It's always going to hurt, Sakura-chan, but it will dull overtime and reinforce the need to get strong so you can protect the people you care about. Sasuke chose his path, and none of us could help him. This isn't your failure, it's all of ours and we'll share this pain with you."

She had nodded weakly, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. It hadn't been what he wanted to say. He had wanted to reassure her, tell her it wasn't her fault, but he knew it would make no difference, so he had settled on the truth.

"Besides all that, you were never useless. You give Naruto strength, and that's not something that warrants a flower that says you felt you didn't help."

She had shook her head giving a quiet, broken laugh. "That's not what the flower meant, Kakashi-sensei." He watched her puzzled until she brought darkened, forest green eyes to his. Her face had been so close he could still see the tiny, glittering tears caught on her mascara smeared eyelashes and the dark smudges under her eyes indicating exhaustion.

"It means 'love in vain'" she had whispered, before leaving.

Had that same girl really grown so much in the last four years that she could truly not confuse her feelings around him if he were to bed her and break it off instantly? Would she understand, be adult enough to let it go, or would it be one more crushing blow to her fragile soul? He wanted so much for her to stay how he knew her now. Knowing enough pain to be rational in battle; determined in protecting her friends and being good-natured enough to take his quirks and flaws. Most of all, for that shining, pure happiness that burst forth every now and then that reminded him of the genin she had been before Sasuke had abandoned the village and his team and left her feeling like she was no use to them.

He felt his free hand clench into a fist. He hadn't been angry that Sasuke had left, or that he had wanted to crush his home. In that, he was ruthlessly cold towards the situation, knowing that a threat to Konoha would have to be eradicated. What had got to him most was what Sasuke leaving had done to the other two. It had left them broken, unsure of themselves as shinobi, as friends... For all of Naruto's posturing and screaming defiance Kakashi could see the doubt that poured from him when he thought no one else was looking; could see the despair that clouded Sakura's eyes when everyone had turned their heads away. Yes, more than anything, those two had stuck by his teachings and stubbornly insisted that they would never abandon their friend and for all of their loyalty Sasuke had thrown it savagely back at them and destroyed his own young life in the process.

Naruto had never blamed the Uchiha and Sakura blamed herself for not being able to convince him to stay, but Kakashi? For a while he thought it was his fault and that his lesson hadn't been enough, but overtime, Naruto and Sakura's persistence had made him realise that he couldn't have completely failed as a teacher. Sure, they had both gone off and trained under different sannin members, and they had excelled in power, but the importance of the team, of camaraderie and loyalty to your friends? Kakashi had no qualms of claiming that as his own teaching achievement and this had eventually led him to the realisation that Sasuke had been his own undoing. Sasuke had caused them all this pain and worry and he had to fix it if they were ever going to move on. He had walked into the Hokage's office one morning and told her he was leaving on a mission to remove the threat of Uchiha Sasuke. He had been met with no resistance, but Tsunade had insisted he take Naruto. He had been reluctant, but understood the little knucklehead would need to try one last time to convince Sasuke to come home, even if Kakashi knew it was futile.

He sighed heavily, shaking himself out of his reverie to discover Shizune had been talking the entire time. Damn, he thought, rubbing the beck of his neck. He really needed to pay more attention to people when they spoke.

"I wouldn't bother with gifts or anything like that; she'll be far too suspicious if they're coming from you. Unless you can find some way of making them personal in a way she would expect from you... if that makes sense... Basically you need to find a way to still be you, but put the thoughts into her head. Anyway, just start small, be there when she needs you but do something for her she knows you wouldn't do for anyone else."

"You realise I have less than a month to do this? Can't I just show up with some sake and-"

Shizune narrowed her eyes at him. "You treat her like the well-deserving woman she is, Hatake-san or I swear you won't be able to eat in this village again."

He eyed her suspiciously; well aware she could find a way to slip poison into his groceries. "I have every intention of treating her right. I can treat a woman so right she'll forget what her own name-"

"I mean it all matters!" Shizune snapped, a slight blush gracing her cheeks. "Not just the act, but the lead up and the way you deal with it afterwards. If you don't tread carefully you could ruin your relationship with her and team Kakashi would become ineffective."

He sighed heavily, swilling the rest of his drink. "I know. I'm going to have to teach her the concept of friend's with benefits."

Shizune shook her head but he saw the corner of her mouth twitch. "Maybe you can concentrate on the friend part for today. " She pinched her nose and sighed. "We lost a twelve-year old this afternoon. Naho."

Kakashi made a soft sound in his throat. He knew losing a patient was hard enough for Sakura but a kid? She must be pretty torn up about it... "Wait, Naho?"

Genma took that moment to slide into the booth next to Shizune, laying his arm around her shoulders and shooting Kakashi a look that was all male challenge. Kakashi rolled his eye to show it was pointless and Genma's dark expression vanished into a grin.

"Where was my invite?"

Kakashi ignored him and focused on the medic who had dropped her head into her hands.

"What's up?" Genma's smile faltered.

"Naho died," she choked out, and Kakashi became aware that she was crying. He shot a look at Genma, and the usual idiotic face became sombre as he eased Shizune out of the booth and to her feet.

"Come on," he whispered, "let's go for a walk."

Kakashi left the bar a few minutes later. He would pay Sakura a visit and see if he could alleviate her no doubt bad mood. That surely counted as being there for her. First, however, he would visit Kurenai. As a jounin teacher himself, he remembered how terrified he felt every time his students had been in danger when they were younger. If he had lost any of them when they were genin it would have broken him and he knew she would be devastated right now. More than that, he felt he owed it to his late friend Asuma to check in on her every now and then.

He found her sitting on an armchair in her living room stroking her sleeping daughter's hair. The two boys on her team were also there, sprawled out on the couch, one also asleep.

"Yo," he announced, letting himself in through the window. She gave a small smile and rolled her eyes. "I have a door, you know."

"Ah, that's not the ninja way." He stared coolly at the alert genin who gulped before squeaking. "Would you like my seat, Kakashi-senpai?" He raised an eyebrow in answer and the boy jumped from the couch as if he had been electrified and sat neatly on the floor.

Kakashi noticed the boy asleep next to him had tear marks down his face and looked thoroughly beaten. "He shouted at Tsunade for half an hour. I brought him back here and he cried himself to sleep..."

"He really cared for Naho-chan..." Kakashi gave the boy at his feet an uncharacteristic pat on the head. He was regarded with suspicious eyes for a moment before a small, watery smile appeared.

"Want some tea?" He asked, wondering if Kurenai still had that really nice jasmine one he loved.

"I have it under control, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi looked up and smiled as Nara Shikamaru entered holding a teapot and several cups. The boy religiously checked in on Kurenai and her daughter for the same reason Kakashi did but on a much more frequent basis. The boy had already been confirmed as the girl's sensei when she graduated and he could often be seen teaching her how to throw kunai or pointing out funnily shaped clouds.

He nodded and stood up.

"You can stay of you want," Shikamaru offered him a cup, but Kakashi declined politely.

"You look after Kurenai," he said, smiling at the woman who was blowing on the steaming tea in front of her. "I'm going to check on Sakura."

Shikamaru tensed slightly, obviously remembering his conversation with the medic earlier, and nodded.

By the time Kakashi had approached Sakura's building, the sun had gone down completely. People were bustling about the town, laughing loudly and shouting to each other. Coloured lanterns were criss-crossing the streets, winking merrily at the crowds below and Kakashi couldn't help wondering how Sakura possibly got any sleep living on this street. He walked casually up the side of her building, chuckling at the gawping, drunk civilians below him. He paused outside her window, wondering if she would mind him entering through her bedroom before shrugging and letting himself in. He cocked his head, confused, as a loud chorus met his ears. He recognised it as a drinking song he knew Jiraiya had made up in his youth about toads drinking too much beer and opened her bedroom door utterly perplexed.

Sakura was wallowing in self pity, gulping down ice cream like it was oxygen and watching a very bad soap drama when the banging on her door started. She groaned loudly, irritated in being forced to her feet. She was wearing a black tank top and even though it was hot, a baggy pair of grey sweatpants. She hoisted them up, giving them a happy pat as she secured them around her hips. She lovingly referred to them as her comfy pants and slipped into them every time she came back from a mission or had a particularly gruelling shift at the hospital.

She barely had time to snap at whoever had disturbed her before she found herself being pulled into a bone crushing bear hug. She let Naruto and Sai into her apartment and they told her how they had run into Shizune. Yamato had apparently decided to call their training session short while the rain continued so Naruto had a little break for a while. She had spent a few minutes recounting the horrible event before insisting she didn't want to talk about it anymore. They had then spent the rest of the afternoon playing drinking games based on cheesy tv programs. They had attempted to make dinner around six but failed miserably, spending a good half an hour giggling over the burnt mess. Sai, being the most sober, had gone for takeout, procuring a few bottles of wine in the process. Sakura had been quite surprised he had bought more alcohol but he had simply smiled and said he thought she needed it. Sakura was vaguely aware this was borderline Tsunade alcoholism but really couldn't bring herself to care today. She made a small pact with herself to not drink again for at least five days and joyfully accepted a glass. At some point Naruto had taught them a song Jiraiya had made up and this was how Kakashi-sensei found them, belting it out, wine in hand.

She hiccoughed and giggled, a little embarrassed her captain had found her in this state again, but also quite happy to see him. "Now the team is all together!" She shouted excitedly, fumbling with the bottle and passing it over to him.

"Do you know the song about the drunk toads?" Naruto asked excitedly.

Kakashi ignored him, placed the bottle back on the table and openly stared at Sakura. She stared back, eyebrow raised.

"Umm, I thought I'd check in."

"Why?"

He blinked at her.

"I just came from Kurenai's.."

She sighed. She really didn't want to think about it right then. She was happy he had decided to see if she was ok but she was unwilling to discuss it again.

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei, but either help yourself to a glass or go." He regarded her for second, eyes unreadable, before strolling into her kitchen to find a glass. Sakura had to admit, she was a little surprised. She had expected him to leave, but the sight of him sitting down in her armchair and pouring himself a glass, evidence of a smile under his mask, warmed her heart. She loved it when they were all with her. She glanced around, smiling happily at the boys as Naruto started flicking bottle caps at Sai. Whenever one of them was away on a mission she had a constant pressure in her chest, so the times they got to spend together like this were truly some of her happiest moments. They spent an enjoyable evening drinking together, laughing raucously at Naruto's attempts to draw each of them in Sai's sketchbook. Sai seemed untroubled by the amount of pages Naruto was tearing out and even let out a laugh as Sakura beat the blonde over the head with it after a particularly suggestive drawing of her.

By the time eleven had rolled around, Sakura was fighting to stay awake. Everyone had lulled into a peaceful silence and Naruto was snoring, spread out on the floor.

"Probably time for bed," Kakashi suggested with a smile.

Sakura nodded, putting her feet up on the couch after Sai stood. He picked the blonde up effortlessly, wishing them a goodnight as Kakashi closed the door. He walked over to the couch and pushed Sakura's feet out of the way. She growled at him half-heartedly and pulled herself into a sitting position. "I thought it was bedtime, Kaka-chan?" She giggled at the new nickname, oddly proud of herself.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Isn't that a bit inappropriate, Sakura-chan?"

She rolled her eyes at him. Sure, maybe it would have been when she was still his student, but the alcohol had boosted her confidence and given their exchange yesterday it wasn't really bothering her.

"So," he declared, in what had affectionately become known as his 'teacher voice.' "Would it be pointless to ask you about today?"

She fixed him with bored eyes. She knew he meant well, but she just didn't want to talk about it.

"Ok, guess its also pointless telling you it's not your fault then. You'll probably blame yourself anyway."

She sighed irritably and stood up, collecting the used glasses and taking them to the kitchen. He did this a lot and she was starting to get annoyed at how easily he could drag information from her. If he was an enemy ninja she would have been screwed. Then again, the reason he was so good at it was probably because he knew her so well. If it hadn't been for the alcohol she probably would have broken down and sobbed already but instead she found herself getting angry. He was prying into her feelings and this time she refused to say anything.

She felt rather than heard him move into the kitchen behind her and she began rinsing the glasses as a distraction.

"Tsunade-sama couldn't even save her, and she's the best," he pressed. She ground her teeth audibly. Why wouldn't he let this slide? She had told him she didn't want to talk about it so why wouldn't he leave it alone?

She heard a chair scrape against the floor and a shifting of clothes as he sat down. His eye was boring into the back of her head and she sighed. She knew he wouldn't leave until she talked to him and as infuriating as it was, she had to admit she always felt better after unloading on him every once in a while.

"I feel terrible. A twelve-year old girl died today and I couldn't stop it."

"No," he said softly, "you couldn't."

"I need to blame myself," she snapped, the idea of his pity making her feel ill. "This way I can use the anger and pour it into finding a solution, getting myself ready for this mission Tsunade-shishou is sending me on."

Kakashi was silent for a time. She finished the last glass and turned to him, his eyes seemed lost in thought and she waved. He blinked at her and his eye creased slightly in the corner.

"A mission," he prompted.

"Yeah, I think she wants me to use whatever means necessary to take down whoever is responsible for those kunai."

"Mn."

"I know she thinks it'll be hard for me, being a healer and all, but if it's for the good of our shinobi I can do what's necessary."

She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Could she, though? For all her tough talk, she really wondered if she would be up for it. Whenever she thought of torture and interrogation Ibiki's terrifying face entered her mind and she wondered how long it had taken him to harden up to his duties. To be able to look his victims in the eyes and feel nothing as they screamed.

"It'll be hard," she whispered, "but I know it's to protect everyone." She looked up at him, determined. He hadn't said anything yet and she needed to hear him say it was alright, maybe even relay his own gruesome tales. If nothing else he might provide her with some ideas.

"I guess you've done it before," she said. His eye widened at her and she pulled worriedly at her hair. Maybe the memories were too horrific to share. She knew there was a lot about the man in front of her that she didn't know and a whole lot more that he would never tell her, but she would really appreciate some kind of reassurance. Something that would make her feel at least a little less like vomiting at the idea of torturing another human being for information.

Kakashi was relentless in his silence, however, and she knew if she wanted information or advice from him she was better off asking directly.

"Could you tell me what it's like?"

Kakashi choked. He visibly blanched and sat up straighter.

"I'm sorry," she murmured quickly, tugging on her hair and trying to keep her expression neutral. "It's probably not something people ever fully recover from, I just was hoping for a bit of advice. Tips, maybe? Like how to do it with minimal blood loss and-"

Kakashi held up a hand. "Wait," he said sharply, "what are we talking about?"

Sakura regarded him with puzzled eyes. Was he serious? He was an elite jounin and had worked for ANBU, he must have had his fair share of peoples blood on his hands.

"Umm, torturing people for information?"

Kakashi barked a laugh but recovered himself quickly with a cough.

"Smooth," Sakura deadpanned, rolling her eyes.

He scratched the back of his head and regarded her coolly. She could see him working something out behind that dark eye and stood with a huff, walking over to her couch and flinging her feet over the armrest. He followed her in and instead of sinking into his usual chair he sat himself behind her head and stared down at her.

"Sakura..."

"Mmm?"

He was quiet for a second and she glanced at him, confused by his apprehension.

"Tsunade-sama told you to use any means necessary and your mind goes straight to torture?"

She glared up at him. She wasn't quite sure where this was going and lying down had made her painfully aware of her queasy stomach. She massaged her temples slowly trying to dispel the forming headache. She already felt like the hangover was setting in and she sighed frustratingly.

"What else is there?"

"What else is there?" His voice sounded incredulous. He seemed genuinely stunned by her response and her exhausted, drunken state and his strange attitude was starting to grate on her nerves.

"Sensei, what are you talking about?"

"I'm not your sensei anymore," he replied flatly.

She sat up and stared at him. What the hell was going on here? Was he drunk? A devilish smile curved her lips before she could stop it and his head tilted in response. She frowned, more at herself than him and admonished herself quietly. Now was really not the time to be thinking about removing his mask.

"Ok, what are you talking about, Kaka-chan?"

She giggled as he visibly rolled his eye at the nickname.

"Sakura, some things you just need to figure out on your own."

She pouted at him and stood up. "I'm tired, and we have an early morning tomorrow."

"We do?" He dragged himself off the couch and she smiled vindictively.

"I need a punching bag tomorrow and this time I am not curbing my chakra for your benefit old man."

He held a hand over his heart and shook his head before fixing her with a sorrowful eye.

"Sakura, I am a young and fit specimen of a man."

She raised a slender pink eyebrow at him and pointed to the door. He chuckled lightly, raised a hand at her in farewell and left a cloud of smoke in her apartment. She found herself smiling as she lay down in bed that night. Her head was pounding and she was fighting to ignore her body's need to empty her stomach, but underneath it all, she felt a familiar buzz of happiness. Kakashi always found a way to reassure her so subtly she didn't even notice until he was gone. He hadn't helped her deal with the prospect of torture, but he had made her smile and feel better about herself for a little while.

All the thoughts of the day came crashing on her and even though there was still sadness, still hopelessness and despair, she couldn't help but smile at the evening she had shared with her little family. They loved her, and they sure didn't think she was useless. She should take pride in her skills as a medic and really start learning to not beat herself up every time she lost someone. She frowned at these thoughts. Surely she needed to feel guilty, the girl had died... She did, she realised with a sigh. No amount of laughing and drinking with her team was going to take that away, but she would stay strong for them and give her all to bring the bastard behind those weapons a world of pain.

Genma gave a slight smile. Not enough for the woman tucked into his side to notice, of course. She probably wouldn't appreciate him smiling; he just couldn't believe he had considered Kakashi a threat. Of course he wasn't hitting on Shizune. The two of them may have looked pretty cosy sitting tucked away in the corner of the tavern but he realised the fury he had momentarily felt was just stupid. He was also trying to tell himself he had felt said fury because he had been on many missions with Shizune and she was his dear friend and teammate. It had nothing to do with the fact that the idea of another man being with her made his blood boil. Nothing at all...

He had to admit, there was a manipulative and vindictive part of him that wanted to press his advantage with Shizune's currently vulnerable state, but a much bigger part of him couldn't. If he was ever lucky enough to find her in his bed, he wanted her to want to be there, but more importantly for the first time in a really long time, he wanted it to last. Maybe not forever, but definitely longer than one night. He had a feeling comfort sex wouldn't go beyond that, so instead he walked her home and let her cry into his shoulder, settling down on her couch to wait it out and hope her gratitude the next day would be enough to at least score him a free lunch.


	6. Poking At Dragons

A/N I got far too excited and smashed out another chapter lol! Hope I haven't missed any spelling/grammatical errors and hopefully I can get some beta readers eventually but for now I'll have to make do :P

So this is looking at developing the relationship between Kakashi and Sakura. I really don't want to rush into it but for the story to progress as all us fans of KakaSaku smut have come to expect, I need to start laying down the curiosity and agonising confusion I take so much joy in these characters feeling. I'm only slightly mean to our beloved Kaka-chan ^_^

So stick with me because I want to develop this properly! Reviews always welcome.

Chapter 6: Poking at dragons

Sakura waited.

It was hardly surprising he wasn't there yet, but she still sighed and angrily kicked at the grass. She was pretty sure by now she must have spent what equated to three years of her life just waiting for Kakashi to show up. She had half a mind just to go home and crawl back into bed but she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep.

It must have been close to two hours by the time he showed up looking as if he didn't have a care in the world. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.

He lifted a hand lazily and smiled. "Hey, Sakura-chan."

She continued her icy stare but it just seemed to amuse him more than anything and he stopped in front of her, hands in his pockets waiting for her to break the silence. They both knew she would.

"What, no excuse?" She snapped.

"Would you believe it?"

"No."

He just shrugged happily and continued to smile at her. She sighed heavily and lowered her arms.

"Alright, let's get star-"

"Actually, Sakura, I don't really feel like training."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"And what do you feel like doing, Kakashi-sensei?"

"What," he grinned, "no Kaka-chan?"

She folded her arms and glared at the ground, feeling a slight heat rise in her cheeks. She had forgotten about that until this moment.

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head the same way he had been doing since she had met him. "Anyway, I actually need your help with something."

"Oh?" She tried to sound disinterested but her curiosity had been piqued.

Kakashi sat cross-legged on the ground and indicated to the patch of grass in front of him. She folded her knees underneath herself and fixed eager eyes on him. If she was honest with herself, the idea of training wasn't terribly exciting this morning for her, either.

"So," he began cheerfully, "I just ran into Naruto on his way out for some more training with Yamato and after a little chat, he informed me that before he passed, Jiraiya had begun drafting the next Icha Icha novel."

Sakura's eyes widened. What exactly would he need her help with regarding pornography? She honestly could not think of a single scenario that didn't turn perverted in her mind.

Kakashi cocked his head. "Why are you blushing?"

"I'm not!"

He raised an eyebrow but said nothing more about it. Instead, he continued asking about this so called favour. Sakura felt her mouth opening wider and wider with every word he spoke, until eventually one of Naruto's toads could have jumped into it.

"Are you insane?" She hissed. "I am so not helping you!"

"Sakura-chan," he whined, "you're the only one who can."

She got to her feet shaking her head dumbly. He was an idiot with a death wish, there was no other explanation. She pulled at the ends of her hair and bit her lip. True, it would get her heart racing more than an S-class mission, and hadn't she wanted that for a while? But this... this was just asking for trouble. She glanced up into his glinting eye and all was lost. He was promising an adventure if nothing else, and she couldn't help grinning at him.

"If she catches us..."

"I have the utmost faith in our teamwork."

Sakura laughed and started towards the Hokage tower. "Come on then."

She contemplated Kakashi's plan as they walked. It was simple enough; Kakashi would distract her and Sakura would steal the transcript of the first ten chapters of the never to be completed Icha Icha book Tsunade had confiscated from Naruto.

"How do you plan to distract her?" Sakura asked, curious. It was true Kakashi could grate on the Godaime's nerves, but the Hokage physically had to leave the room for her to get into the draws on her desk.

"Hand in my late report."

Sakura's eyebrows knitted in confusion. He noticed her expression and crinkled his eye at her in a smile.

"I blew up a castle by accident, it's costing the village a hell of a lot of ryo, the report is two weeks late and consists of approximately, oh..." He made an exaggerated show of counting his fingers. "Three words."

Sakura snorted. Oh yeah, her shishou was definitely not going to be happy with him.

"What do you two want?"

Tsunade barely glanced at them as they came in. Apparently the scroll that unfurled over the ends of her desk was demanding most of her attention and nothing was going to distract her from reading it. Sakura was scuffing her foot on the ground nervously, hands clasped behind her back.

"I'm just keeping Kakashi out of trouble like you asked, shishou."

"Well," Kakashi added, "she's trying her absolute hardest, Tsunade-sama; I am a pretty big pain in the ass at times."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at him and Sakura fixed him with an unreadable stare.

"Anyway," he chuckled, "I have something for you. Sorry it's so late." He held out the small scroll for her to take and Tsunade's eyebrows disappeared into her hair.

"Did you just apologise for handing in a late report?" He shrugged as she began to open it. "We can finally sort out this mess with-" Tsunade cut herself off with what could only be described as a snarl. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and the fury emanating from her would have been enough to send all the members of the Akatsuki running home to their mothers. Sakura tactfully tried to press herself into the wall.

"KAKASHI!" A coffee mug narrowly missed his head.

"What... the... HELL!" Each word was accompanied by an object being thrown at high velocity towards Kakashi, who evaded them gracefully.

"What's the problem? I feel it is an adequate description of what happened."

At that Tsunade was throwing herself across the desk. Kakashi ran out of the door followed by a blonde steam train.

Sakura gave a chuckle and walked around the side of the Godaime's desk where the oh-so detailed report lay open.

'I kicked ass.'

With a smirk, she rifled through the top draw for a few seconds before- yes! There it was! The only draft in the entire world of the never-to-be-published fourth Icha Icha book! Humming cheerily, Sakura made her way to the door. It opened before she reached it, however.

"Oh, Sakura, great. I need you to take these down to the archives."

She blinked stupidly at Shizune before rubbing the back of her head. "Umm.. sure thing Shizune. I just need to run this out. Tsunade said it was of utmost importance. I'll be right back though!" And with that, she ducked through the door.

"Sakura, wait a second!"

Shizune's head poked around the door.

"O-oh.. did Sakura go by?"

She stared into bored grey eyes. Kakashi shrugged and continued strolling down the hall, the draft securely in his pouch. He couldn't keep the grin off his face, so it was probably a good thing he wore a mask. He distantly heard a rumble which indicated Tsunade had caught up with Sakura. He winced and gave a forlorn sigh. If he was any kind of gentleman, he would go and help her out. Then again, the whole reason he proposed the henge's in the first place was because if Tsunade caught up with him, there was no way he'd survive. Sakura could match her strength and heal herself if necessary.

No, he thought, giving his pouch a happy pat. Sakura would be better off without him getting in the way. Besides, that's what she got for referring to him as a pain in the ass. So with a very uncharacteristic bark of laughter which spooked a nearby genin team, he disappeared in a cloud of grey smoke.

"What the hell, Sakura?"

"You were the one who told me to keep an eye on him," Sakura snapped, rubbing her bruised hip.

"And how exactly did that translate to helping him steal that piece of smut?" Sakura regarded her shishou with a heavy sigh. She had taken a painful hit to the side early on and been slammed into a nearby tree, resulting in a string of profanities that gave her away to the Hokage instantly. After dropping the henge Sakura had been forced to explain herself from her undignified sprawled position on the grass.

"It's been a while since I had a mission... I don't know shishou; it seemed like a little bit of fun." Tsunade raised her eyebrow. "I was going to make him put it back after he had finished..."

Tsunade sighed. "Tell him if he hands in a thoroughly succinct report he can keep it." With a wave over her shoulder, Tsunade walked away. Sakura sighed and crossed her arms- so much for Kakashi being her back up. She knew he would turn traitor the second that draft was in his hands. She should have known better; he was a brilliant shinobi after all. Picking herself up Sakura dusted off and applied a little medical jutsu to get rid of the bruise. She took a few steps forward gingerly and winced. It was going to be sore for a little while.

Stupid damn Hatake.

She wanted to pound him into so much jounin mash but decided to cool off before she went to see him. Who said she wasn't becoming a mature, level-headed woman? She threw her hands together into a seal and disappeared – appearing again outside her favourite tea shop. Sitting down with grunt, she waved over the waitress and ordered some green tea.

She thought about going over to his apartment and smashing through another door but eventually she would end up having to pay for it, no doubt conned into giving up her cash by his ridiculous charm... She sighed heavily. She really had nowhere else to go so after she finished her tea, she meandered painfully over to her old sensei's apartment.

Forgoing the door, she pulled herself in through the window, knocking over the Team 7 picture as she did. Hastily picking it up, she placed it beside the picture of Kakashi's genin team, smiling at the uncanny resemblance between Naruto and his father. She strolled into Kakashi's living room and unsurprisingly he was hunched over the draft.

"Yo."

She stomped to the table and snatched the draft up. "I do believe, as I did all the work, this is mine."

He gave her a raised eyebrow for her troubles and shrugged.

"If you really want it, you can have it."

Sakura was surprised her jaw didn't hit the ground. "What?"

He shrugged and lay back on the couch, eye never leaving her face. Sakura stood dumbfounded for a moment before shrugging and taking a seat on the floor. She lay the pages on his coffee table and began reading. She barely got two paragraphs in before she felt the tell-tale heat creeping up her neck. She lasted another three sentences before putting her head in her hands and muttering, "oh Kami..."

She heard Kakashi chuckle and shot him a glare.

"I cannot believe you abandoned me for THIS!"

"Really?" Kakashi mused, rubbing his chin.

"This is ridiculous! It isn't even a story!"

"Well, it is a draft, Sakura-chan. Maybe the story was something he came up with later?"

Sakura glared at the pages, demanding them to form themselves into a semblance of a plot.

"You probably shouldn't read anymore though." Kakashi reached across to take the pages, only to have a delicate hand slam down on his with enough force to crack the table.

Sakura was feeling particularly vexed, and decided her dear old sensei could sweat it out for a few days. "I'm taking it home; you can have it when I'm done."

Kakashi's eye narrowed at her. She was aware he was looking at her with the same stare he saved for his enemies right before raikiri cut through their hearts, but she refused to back down. Picking the papers up, she gave him her sweetest smile before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Sakura chuckled to herself as she entered her apartment.

Flicking on the kettle, she settled down at the table and decided to carry on. She supposed it had been the fact she was reading it around Kakashi that had made her so uncomfortable. He was a massive pervert after all.

But- if you want to read it, doesn't that make you one, too?

"Shut up," Sakura growled at her inner-self. Reading through the first two pages, she was unsure why Kakashi didn't want her reading it. Perhaps he thought she was too young? But he was a fool if he thought she honestly hadn't been exposed to this kind of material before. Both her teammates were boys after all, and porn was one of Naruto's favourite things. That and Kiba loved to over share...

Sakura reached over for a pen when she noticed a spelling error and corrected it without thinking. Similarly, when a sentence she read didn't make much sense to her, she reworded it; as well as she could without exactly trying to picture the incredibly descriptive passage of what the protagonist of the story was doing with the daimyo's daughter.

She realised the third page in that a plot line was slowly developing. It appeared Jiraiya had started somewhere in the middle. She was starting to enjoy herself when it became apparent the daughter wasn't going to be the main squeeze of the protagonist Takashi. Oh no, it was a beautiful kunoichi from a far off village whose hair just so happened to be a beautiful shade of cherry blossoms in the spring.

Pink cherry blossom.

Jiraiya had given the love interest of TAKASHI PINK hair.

"That perverted old BASTARD!"

"Don't speak ill of the dead, Sakura." Kakashi chuckled to himself from his perch outside her window.

Obviously she had reached the part about the pink-haired kunoichi. He had seriously debated whether to just knock her out and hide the draft to save her from the embarrassment but he knew her reaction would amuse him to no end. Besides, it's not like she could blame him for it really. He didn't write it. If he was honest, he was quite surprised himself. Jiraiya had often gone on about how affairs with students were literary goldmines, but the fact he had used Sakura and himself as characters was a bit unnerving. What if this had actually been published? It might have caused a scandal in the village. Then again, if what he planned to do got out he would be in enough strife as it was.

He sighed to himself quietly. That particular problem wasn't becoming any easier for him the more she read on. Jiraiya had probably set him back in his mission about three years, which was around two years and forty-eight weeks too late. He doubted she would be able to even look him in the eye after she had finished, and he hadn't even got half way through before she showed up. Kami knows what else had been so descriptively put in there.

"I am going to bring him back and KILL HIM!"

Kakashi smirked. Obviously the personality of the fictional kunoichi was beginning to sound quite familiar to Sakura. Kakashi shook his head; how Jiraiya had planned to get away with that novel he would never know. Sakura was Tsunade in miniature; surely the old perverted sannin would have learnt his lesson when he used his teammate's image for Icha Icha Paradise. Sakura was just as capable of punching through walls as her shishou.

Kakashi heard an indignant snort from within.

"As if I'd be that easy."

He popped his head around the window to see Sakura scribbling furiously at a page. There was no way.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

She let out a squeak and jumped from her seat, sending the chair crashing against the wall.

"What the hell are YOU doing!"

Kakashi dropped in through the window with ease and strolled to her table, picking up the page she had mutilated.

"Why are you correcting his work?"

"Because he's an idiot if he thinks that I would – err... that any kunoichi would be so damn easy to win over!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her correction and turned to face her.

"So you're what – rewriting the story?"

"NO! Why would I even care that much? It's just annoying!"

Kakashi nodded and gathered up the other pages.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked, moving back towards the small table.

"Given your complete lack of appreciation for art, I'm taking it back."

"But I haven't finished!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her, a small grin playing on his lips. "You want to read it?"

Sakura spluttered incoherently for a second, face turning a wonderful shade of magenta. Kakashi suppressed a chuckle as he watched the wheels turning in her head. If she admitted she wanted to read it, he would tease her mercilessly. If she stubbornly insisted she didn't really care; he could tease her mercilessly. He waited for the yelling to start so he could quite childishly call her a liar.

Sakura slumped into his favourite armchair and sighed. "Fine," she snapped, "it's mildly interesting enough for me to be intrigued." Kakashi blinked at her slowly. "Besides," she snapped, "I need to correct all those ridiculous things Jiraiya wrote about me!"

"You?" Kakashi asked lightly.

"How many other girls do you know with pink hair!"

Something happened then that Kakashi had not done in a long time. He saw his old students eyes go wide, for she had never seen it in all the years she had known him, of that he was dead certain. In fact, the last time he could recall it ever occurring was when Obito had crashed headlong into a tree mere seconds after claiming he was more graceful and deadly than a mountain cat.

Kakashi laughed. Not his usually chuckle or the occasionally manly (or so he liked to think) giggle that came from enjoying Icha Icha, but a delighted, raucous sound that had him groping for the back of the couch. The dumbfounded expression on Sakura's face made it all the worse and he collapsed onto the soft cushions, trying to compose himself.

He couldn't really explain it. She was so indignant, so naive, so damn adorable and all Kakashi could think was of how absolutely screwed he was. How the hell was he supposed to go through with this? There had to be some kind of bitter irony hidden in the situation somewhere and his subconscious had caught on before he had. That and the stress of the situation had clearly melted his brain.

How was he supposed to show her that it was the naughty things described in that draft that men loved. How was he supposed to encourage lustful behaviour from a woman who would rather sit there and correct grammatical errors in a piece of erotic literature than enjoy it the way it was intended.

He was a perverted, old man that much he could admit to himself. He had told himself he was following her because he wanted to get the draft back. But if that was the case surely he would have just let himself in and taken it straight away rather than sitting outside her window. So why had he then? Because he was masochistic and perverted and honestly wanted to see the way she reacted. Sure he knew she would get angry that Jiraiya had written her into the plot but that was no reason to be peeking through the window. He could convince himself that he was being wise and keeping his distance in case she really did blow up, but no. He was intrigued by how she would react once she got over her initial fury.

He wanted her to enjoy the idea. As in, enjoy.

'You're only male, it's natural to want women to want you' the Jiraiya-inspired voice whispered.

"Oh Kami," Kakashi answered, "I'm going to hell."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled exasperatedly. Coming back to himself, he realised Sakura was staring at him, lips parted, evident confusion etched in her features. At some point she had stood up, perhaps to see if he was alright, but was now standing there like a rabbit watching the wolf's jaws closing in. He sighed. He thought he could get away with what he had to do because no matter what his fellow jounin had said, no matter what he had tried to convince himself, he had made the decision that he was going to feel guilty about it. He was going to take Sakura's fury when it came because it was well deserved.

However, some primal part of Kakashi had already decided that he was going to relish the physical moment when it came. Jiraiya had apparently known him better than he had. Perhaps this was going to be the old sannin's way of pushing Kakashi into something the number one pervert couldn't pursue himself. Maybe the old man just knew Kakashi would be enthralled by the idea and unable to shake it, begin trying to bring some of the words to fruition. He didn't think the timing of the drafts appearance was a mere coincidence either and half-wondered whether the Hokage already knew of its existence.

Confused. That was the only definite conclusion his jumbled thoughts could come to. One of the greatest minds of the village and he couldn't sort through the mess of images and emotions swirling around his own head. He should have turned this mission down. Turning rouge honestly seemed like the safer option. If Naruto or Sakura herself didn't kill him when they found out, he would probably drive himself mad with the guilt.

Although, hadn't he just admitted he wouldn't feel guilty? He groaned outwardly. Not at the time, that was for sure. Something inside him had already laid claim to her. She was going to be his to mould as he saw fit; to do with as he wished and it had snaked its way into his conscious so subtly it had happened before he could stop it. What came afterwards though... he could think of no way of repairing what he would do. He would put it off for as long as possible as he was surely going to miss being a part of team 7, but when the inevitable happened it was going to eat him alive for the remainder of his days. This, in retrospect, wouldn't be very long once Sakura realised what had her innocence had been taken for.

He placed his head in his hands, fingers gently massaging his temples, and sighed. How had he lived long enough for this to have happened to him? Why couldn't he have gone out during the war as a blazing, honoured hero? Why did every single Sannin member see fit to at some point make his life damn miserable?

Sakura realised standing in the middle of the room with her mouth wide open was anything but classy, but what the hell was she witnessing right now? Had the Copy Ninja final snapped? It was no doubt he has seen a lot in his life but she had no idea why he was choosing this moment and her living room to have his mental breakdown or midlife crisis or whatever this was. She honest to Kami had no idea what to do. Maybe she could fetch him a glass of water... though he looked like he could do with something stronger... She supposed she could just give him back the draft if it honestly meant that much to him. Perhaps that was it? He was so distraught she was scribbling all over the last remaining link to his favourite author that he had broken down. He sighed audibly again. She had a feeling a headache was forming from the way he was rubbing his head. Her mouth closed and her eyes grew soft as she truly contemplated her last line of thought.

Jiraiya hadn't just been an author; Kakashi had known him since he was a child. She supposed they had even been friends, united by their mutual perversions. She made her way silently into the kitchen and poured three shots of sake. She placed them on the coffee table and picking up the draft, knelt down in front of Kakashi. He didn't move or in any way acknowledge her presence, simply continuing the small circular movements that now moved from his temples to his brow.

She reached out uncertain, hand hesitating momentarily before placing it tentatively on his knee. His head snapped up instantly and his eye focused on her with such intensity she stammered over her words as she spoke.

"I-I'm sorry. I never m-meant to upset you. Here," she thrust the draft into his hands and reached behind her for two of the shot glasses, holding one out for him to take. "In honour of Jiraiya-senpai," she said, downing her shot and vaguely remembering the promise she had made not to drink. "I shouldn't have been so disrespectful and changed his work. I'm so sorry, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi seemed to survey her closely for a long moment before looking at the papers in his hand. She saw his eye scanning over the corrections and notes she had made. She knew the moment he read the particularly descriptive paragraph she had reworded as his eye widened slightly and his eyebrow twitched upwards.

"It's actually better," he said, voice unnervingly calm after his display. He slouched backwards onto the couch, drank the shot through his mask and flipped the page over to continue reading through her editing.

"Really?" He asked lightly, "you wouldn't do that but you would, 'gently bite down on his neck, feeling his pulse quicken under your tongue while your hands moved lightly over his thigh'?" Sakura was so perturbed by the drastic turn in his demeanour to the normal, slouching, unfazed and frankly, irritatingly composed man he usually was that the embarrassment of having her words read back to her didn't sink in straight away. Apparently he seemed to realise this too, glancing up as if confused he didn't illicit a response from her. Apprehension dawned in his eye and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Dont worry, Sakura-chan." She just stared at him. He gave her his patented I'm-as-happy-as-a-lark eye crease and said, "It's just been a strange day."

She nodded slowly. It wasn't everyday you stole something from the Hokage then read a pornographic draft that depicted yourself and your student doing such compromising things to one another , only to have said student be apparently intrigued by the story enough to add her own ryo's worth.

She worried at her bottom lip. Perhaps that was it? Maybe he thought she was actually interested in the idea of the two of them together like... that. Oh... dear... KAMI!

"NO!" She practically screamed at him. He blinked at her. "Oh no!" She spluttered, rising to her feet and taking a step back. Her legs hit the coffee table and she fell into a sitting position. A tell-tale thunk indicated she had just knocked over the third shot she was going to tip out in tribute to Jiraiya but she ignored it as she tried to string together a sentence to explain herself. Without considering it, however, she just opened her mouth.

"I just wanted to fix it up a bit! I never considered- I mean, I wasn't paying attention to the characters or the fact that they were u- well! I, um... I just thought it would read better if – not that I'm a writer or anything! I wasn't thinking about u-us..." Her eyes were fixed firmly on her knees. She could feel the blood creeping up her neck and had no delusions as to the colour of her cheeks at that moment.

Obviously Kakashi had felt disgusted at the idea of the two of them together, it explained his reaction perfectly. She realised her babbling probably hadn't been very eloquent but at least he would understand (she hoped) what she had been doing. Surely he had realised the idea of them being used in a story together had outraged her? Though she could see why her editing it had perhaps hinted to otherwise.

She felt the all-too familiar prickle in the corner of her eye that indicated tears. Was she really that revolting to have warranted such an obviously despairing response? Surely he had overreacted somewhat. She realised he had never thought of her that way; indeed, she would be surprised if Kakashi had ever really stopped seeing her as his twelve-year-old student, but it seemed a bit harsh, especially as he was usually so kind and considerate of her feelings most of the time. Unless he was bored of course, but even his teasing was never done in a hurtful manner.

She could feel him looking at her and raised her eyes to his slowly, almost dreading to see what was in that grey orb. She realised he was schooling his expression. Years of being a shinobi had taught him how to appear emotionless and the eye he was giving her now was too well guarded for her to gauge the impact of her words.

For what felt like the longest of eternities passed between them. She had a feeling Kakashi was probably trying to fathom the easiest way to dismiss the subject before leaving as quickly as possible.

He made a small sound in his throat before saying slowly, "that was quite the reaction to a thought I hadn't really considered..."

Sakura said nothing. Apparently she had overreacted, but she was so confused by the situation she really couldn't think of what to say next. So she had been wrong, he hadn't thought she had some little crush and was rewriting Jiraiya's draft to reflect her own fantasises. That was a relief; but then, what had made him laugh so hard and then seem so discouraged?

For the briefest of moments, she replayed the sound of his laugh. The image of him curled up on himself, holding onto the couch for dear life. It had shocked her into absolute stillness. She never considered he could display such mirth. More than that, the sound had been so pleasant and warm, almost like a long lost comforter she could wrap around herself. She frowned slightly at the thought and was woken from her small reverie by his soft voice.

"Sakura..." He leant forward, his knees brushing hers such was their proximity. "Please don't worry yourself about me too much. It'll give you frown lines." He poked her forehead lightly and she could tell he was smiling at her. Perplexed as she still was, she couldn't help her lips reacting as they twitched into their own small smile.

He slouched back, bringing his feet up onto the small oak table beside her. "So,' he said, matter-of-factly. "You never told me why the tongue-on-pulse was a better sentence." Her cheeks flushed once more and Sakura coughed slightly. She could hear it in his voice. He was trying to lighten up the atmosphere by refusing to address his strange behaviour. It worked for her. She crossed her arms sulkily and glared up at him. "Never you mind," she snapped, albeit with less venom in her voice than usual.

"Oh go on, Sakura-chan," he grinned, "do tell – where has this little talent sprouted from?" Sakura stood, kicking his feet off the table so she could move past and slump onto the couch next to him with a heavy sigh. She could feel the damp material clinging to her skin from the spilt sake shot but decided to ignore it. For some reason she felt completely drained. Pulling her knees up, she tucked her toes under Kakashi's leg and tipped her head back onto the armrest. She felt him tense slightly and realised, too late, her actions were probably doing nothing to stymie the suspicion that she had an interest in him. Instead of whipping her feet away and causing more uneasiness between them, she kept them where they were and reminded herself that Kakashi had admitted that wasn't the case. Although he could just be saying that to spare her the mortification, she didn't really believe he would lie to her. Indeed, if he seriously thought it was a possibility she assumed he would address the issue more seriously. Student and sensei were taboo, strictly forbidden. Their relationship may not exactly be that anymore but it once was and she could not see someone like Kakashi seriously going for something like that even if he was a younger version of Jiraiya.

He appeared to relax again and neither said anything for a while. She supposed he was contemplating his own reaction earlier. She half wanted to pry into his mind and find out what it had been about, but she knew there was no way to get Kakashi to talk if he didn't feel like sharing.

"Sakura?"

"Mm?" She kept her eyes closed.

"I meant it,' he said casually, "it is better."

"Thanks, I guess."

There was another short silence, before – "seriously, I think you should look over the rest of it."

Sakura looked up at him slowly. Was he asking her to edit the story of a man that could really only be considered as the Daimyo of pornographic literature?

Kakashi cleared his throat, shifting slightly in his seat. "I'm never going to read a new Jiraiya novel again," he said softly. Sakura sighed and regarded him with a raised eyebrow. She had the awful feeling she was being played. His eye was round and looked for all the world like it belonged on Pakkun's face when the little pug was begging for a snack.

She could deny Naruto these eyes, she could even deny Ino if she really wanted to, but for some unknown reason, she found herself unable to refuse the man in front of her. That was a worrying thought.

"Fine," she sighed, holding out her hand. Kakashi handed over the pages and she saw his mask shift in a smile. "But it's not like it will be a whole novel."

Kakashi shrugged, "you never know, maybe you'll be inspired."

"Wha-?" Kakashi raised a hand and disappeared, temporarily flooding her small lounge room with smoke. Had Sakura just been conned into actually finishing this piece of filthy smut? Was that silver-haired moron serious?

She sighed and thought for a moment what it would be like if Kakashi wrote stories and someone she knew finished one off for her after his untimely death. She supposed up until his little display she wouldn't have really appreciated it, knowing exactly the kinds of things her sensei would write about, but it meant a lot to Kakashi and a part of her was always constantly trying to prove herself to him. This was just one more way to do that. With a sigh she rifled under the table for a notebook, picked up her pen an continued to read through the rest of the chapters, trying very hard to ignore the chagrin she felt whenever the 'lustrous, pink hair' was mentioned.

Kakashi watched as the kunoichi flipped through the pages. She thought she had hurt his feelings and tried to apologise. She thought Kakashi wanted her to finish because it meant a lot to him to read his departed friend and favourite authors work. Because it would make him feel close to a man he missed. She was quite kind-hearted behind those powerful fists.

He was a very bad man.

Tsunade looked up as a small movement in the air announced someone's arrival. She raised an eyebrow and tried very hard to maintain the air of a calm and collected woman.

"I do hope you're here to deliver a thorough report," she quipped.

"No." The man before her said. She felt the all-too familiar twitch start in her eyebrow and narrowed her eyes in a way she knew made most of her subordinates wet themselves. Not this man, of course. Unperturbed as always, Kakashi leant casually against the railings next to her, surveying the village with a lazy, unimpressed expression, she assumed.

"Funny," he began, "how Jiraiya-sama's draft happens to show up the same week you tell me to seduce my old student." Tsunade said nothing, unmoving. She somehow felt, however, that her inaction did more to confirm Kakashi's theory than deny it.

"Even more hilarious," Kakashi continued, "that it should just so happen to portray a story of a handsome shinobi named Takashi and his beautiful, pink-haired conquest."

Again, Tsunade said nothing, turning bored eyes to her most elite jounin.

"And further still, how you seem so kind enough to let me keep it."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "What's your point?" She snapped.

"Oh no point," Kakashi said lightly, "I just thought I would share an amusing story with my most esteemed Hokage."

Tsunade glared at the most irritating man she had ever met after Jiraiya. "Then I guess you can leave," she growled.

"But of course," Kakashi bowed, taking several steps away from her. "Oh," he exclaimed, turning his head to view her over his shoulder as he continued walking, hands stuffed into his pockets. "I want to congratulate you. Not many people can fool me with a henge. You can be very Naruto-esq when you try, Tsnuade-sama."

Tsunade turned away from the White Fang's son, mostly to hide her smile. When she had first discovered the unfinished fourth book she had wanted to read the last writings of her late teammate, ultimately regretting it as soon as she realised who it was about. She had cursed Jiraiya before locking it away. When she realised what the mission to Hatchimitsu was going to entail for Sakura, however, she thought the smutty, unfinished novel might be just the thing to help her apprentice begin seeing her former sensei in a new light.

True, she didn't think it would be long before Kakashi realised it had been her guised as Naruto who had told him about the draft, but he had pieced it together quicker than she could have imagined.

"A prodigy indeed," she muttered.

"Sorry, Tsunade-sama?"

"Oh, nothing," Tsunade waved her hand absently at an obviously harassed Shizune. The girl worried far too much in the Hokage's opinion. "What is it?" She asked, wondering if she really wanted to know.

"Oh," spluttered Shizune, "I was wondering if we could get security cameras in the staff rooms at the hospital?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, curious. Shizune held out five blazing orange roses. "They keep showing up," she muttered,

"I'm not paying for cameras to catch you're secret admirer; you're a kunoichi of the Leaf – do it yourself!"

"H-hai..." Shizune stammered. She gazed at the flowers thoughtfully for a moment, before snapping back to attention. "Oh, and reports have come in from the border. Kaito Fujioka has been spotted moving towards Tea Country."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. It appeared Sakura's target was making his way towards his vacation spot earlier than they intended. "We need more intel," Tsunade said, "tell the team in the field to keep an eye on his movements and get someone on Hatchimitsu to double-check his booking dates."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Shizune replied dutifully.

"Oh, and Shizune," the Godaime drawled, "It's nice to see you have your priorities in order."

Shizune flushed "S-sorry, Hokage-sama!" Tsunade waved her hand in dismissal. She had been in love once; she knew how these matters could override everything else. She turned honey-coloured eyes onto the village before her, worry spilling from them despite herself. True, they had faced threats far greater than this deadly new kunai before, but it was becoming increasingly risky to send her shinobi out on missions. She needed these things off the market as soon as possible, and they could not miss their chance to intercept Kaito while he gets his kicks on the little resort Island.

She tossed a blonde lock over her shoulder frowning. Those kicks would be none other than Sakura, and she could only pray to whatever gods would listen that the little cherry blossom would be ready when the time came.

A/N Ok, I hope things aren't moving too slowly for you! It just frustrates me when people write about these characters and suddenly they're in love over night. Anyone who has truly felt love knows it's more beautiful the longer it is worked at


	7. Simple Truths'

A/N: thank you for your patience everyone. As always, reviews keep me motivated! This one was hard for me to write as I didn't want to jump ahead with the development of their relationship too much but I still wanted to keep you readers interested – its hard finding a balance! Hope you enjoy

Chapter 7: Simple Truths'

I may not always be right there, not right there by your side but I take you everywhere, in me you reside

-Cameron Dailey, Just us two.

She flew through the trees, terror snapping at her heels. In all her time as a kunoichi, she could not remember having moved so fast. Something was building inside of her chest, some unknown horror as her mind jumbled images of what she might face when she arrived at her destination. He just had to be ok. Never in her life had she felt something so strong, and knowing finally that he felt the same made her realise that-

Sakura slammed the pages she was reading onto her table with an unimpressed grunt. She had been inside her apartment for the last three days basically re-writing the Icha Icha draft. She liked to think it was because she knew Kakashi was waiting for it and she didn't want to let him down, but if she was completely honest with herself, she was really enjoying it. Or at least, she had been.

What on earth did she know what it felt like to be loved by anyone as much as she had loved Sasuke? Sure, she could draw on that experience for her female protagonists point of view, but Sakura hadn't the faintest idea what it was like knowing that someone adored you completely. She had kept waiting and waiting for the young Uchiha to feel the same and it had never happened and nothing had arisen since then that could give her an inkling of what it meant to be someone's entire world.

She had spent the majority of her teenage years pining after a boy who clearly had no interest in her. She was pretty sure the Uchiha had been an asexual mess which at least meant there was nothing wrong with her. She had been hit on by plenty of guys so eventually had come to the belated conclusion that she had thrown too much of herself into the prospect of one man. It was clearly still showing all these years later as she found it very hard to entertain the idea of dating anyone. There was just something inside her that pulled her back every time. She could never go through with it and so here she was, a twenty-year old virgin. Perhaps if she had been a civilian it wouldn't have mattered, she could have continued living in bliss, ignorant of the fact true love didn't just happen. As it was, she was a kunoichi who had experienced far too much heartbreak in her already short life. She blamed herself mostly for developing such a ridiculous obsession.

The thing that bothered her most was that she had fallen so completely without having the slightest idea of what it actually felt like to be loved. She had read about it, seen it in movies and at the few weddings she had attended, but she was oblivious.

She sighed heavily. Now that she had started it and invested so much time in the thing, she didn't want to stop. She really had little else to do anyway with Tsunade ordering her off duty until her mission. Well, that wasn't strictly true. She was supposed to be using this time to train and also be keeping an eye on Kakashi, neither of which had been overly appealing to her, especially when it had been so easy to engross herself in the Icha Icha draft.

She was missing the hospital a little though and wondered if she could get away with a visit. She hadn't heard much more about those mysterious kunai and while no news was good news in her opinion, she still should be looking into how to deal with the next one when it showed up. She knew this was far from over.

Deciding a walk would probably do her some good, she put on her usual clothes and ran a hand through her messed tresses, doing nothing to tame the pink strands spiking in all directions. Deciding she was unlikely to run into anyone important anyway, she left her hair down and made her way towards the hospital.

Sakura thought that perhaps she needed to glean the insight of someone older who had experienced love before. She thought about broaching the topic with Tsunade-sama, but whenever Dan was mentioned her shishou obtained such a look of loss that Sakura didn't want to bring it up. She had no doubt her busty mentor would know exactly what it felt like to race towards the man who loved her, knowing he was likely dying, but it seemed far too painful to bring up.

Sakura thought idly of visiting Kurenai. The woman had been showered by affection from Asuma, regardless of how secretive the late shinobi had tried to be. Ino would always laugh at the unsubtle way the son of the Third would buy flowers from her. Kurenai always seemed happy to talk about her late lover, but Sakura felt a little awkward. Partly because the jounin had lost someone else close to her that week and partly because Asuma was dead. No matter how much she enjoyed talking about him, surely it would be upsetting eventually to think about someone you loved so much not being there anymore?

Sakura bit her lip and frowned. Did she know anyone who hadn't lost their partner at some point? It appeared in the shinobi world it was inevitable that one day, your loved one may not come home from a mission. Her parents were civilians, so that was out. With no one springing to mind, she sighed and stepped into the sparklingly clean hospital.

The familiar smell of disinfectant hit her nostrils as the low buzz of machines reverberated through the building. She instantly felt more relaxed and sidled up to the desk with a wave.

"Anything interesting?" She enquired.

"No, Sakura-san," Minako replied. Sakura liked the young medic. She had an easy, bright smile and long blonde hair she let fall freely around her shoulders. She reminded Sakura of Ino in looks but the young chuunin before her was the complete opposite of her obnoxious and rowdy friend.

"I thought you were supposed to have some time off?" She asked, brows knitting in a cute, confused way.

"Well, yeah, but I'm bored of my own company." Sakura gave her a shrug and walked off grinning.

"Looks like Tsunade owes me 50 ryo," Shizune remarked, coming up alongside her pink-haired junior.

"Oh?" Sakura was unsurprised Tsunade had lost yet another bet.

"It took you 3 days before you came back, Tsunade-sama gave you at least a week."

Sakura rolled her eyes. Her old mentor may as well throw her money away. "You knew it would be less than a week?" She asked her senpai, wondering whether there was an insult to her complete lack of social life hidden in this bet.

Shizune smiled at her knowingly before handing her a chart. "You can stay for an hour or two if you want, but don't let Tsunade hear you're flaking on your training." With a wave, the older medic entered a patients room, leaving Sakura to wander on over to the next.

She hadn't really glanced at the chart, so was surprised to walk in only to find Choji lying on the bed in obvious discomfort. He had no wounds that she could see and automatically drew her conclusion without even performing the examination.

"You've come in from lunch, haven't you?" She asked the Akamichi, obvious exasperation in her tone.

"I couldn't help it Sakura!" He clutched his stomach protectively as he whined.

"Ugh," Sakura sighed, "I should have stayed at home."

Ino Yamanaka liked to believe there was no kunoichi in the entire Leaf village that was as confident and courageous as she was, which was why she was furious at the fact she was currently crouched behind a garbage bin hiding from a certain lazy teammate of hers as he sauntered up the street. Honestly, could he walk any slower? She cursed silently.

Obviously the blonde knew she wouldn't be able to hide from Shikamaru forever, but it was just too soon. She could not believe she had let this happen. Try as she might, Ino still couldn't remember how her drunken attempts to seduce Sai had ended with her waking up alone with the vague memories of Nara Shikamaru moaning in pleasure underneath her. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks and sink to lower places at the thought- then chased them away appalled at herself. She did not want to remember it. She wanted to bury the whole thing in pieces deep in the Nara woods along with that bastard, Hidan.

Poking her head out from her hiding place she spied the village genius slouching off at a lazy pace that would have made Sakura's sensei proud and cursed. She didn't dare move yet in case he turned around for some reason, but the stench was becoming too much. The pungent smell was enough to make her heave and she thanked the First she didn't possess Kiba's nose at that moment.

"Umm..." she spun around and found herself looking up at her late sensei's nephew.

"Hey!" She gave him her brightest smile, figuring it would work on teenage boys the way it worked on the men she knew. "It's Konohamaru, right?'

"Um, yeah..." he scratched at his black hair, messing up the already ramshackle waves.

"You're probably wondering why I'm hiding back here," –he nodded at this- "well you see, there's this guy, and he was ever so mean to me." Ino faked a sob, putting on her best kicked-puppy act. Konohamaru clenched his fists and fixed her with a determined look, reminding her forcibly of the Leaf's knucklehead Jinchuuriki.

"It's un-gentlemanly to be mean to a lady!" He declared, and Ino had to force down the grin that threatened to take over her lips. "Point him out and I'll teach him some manners!"

Ino sent him in Shikamaru's direction and could barely contain her laughter as she watched the number one tactician of the village being accosted by a group of teenagers. Apparently Konohamaru had taken it upon himself to enlist the help of his fellow genin teammates and the Nara heir had been completely taken by surprise.

Ino was still laughing to herself happily as she made her way into Choji's hospital room. She had been completely unsurprised by the news he had again been taken in for indigestion but had decided to pay him a visit anyway. She had not, however, expected to see Forehead when she walked through the door. The laughter died as she caught sight of the pink-haired kunoichi's face. The accusation in those eyes was undeniable. She knew.

Sakura glared kunai at her oldest friend. Throwing the chart down, she didn't say a word as she brushed past her and headed for the staff room. There was no doubt in her mind that Ino would follow so she didn't slow her pace until she slammed her way through the door and ordered the few nurses who were helping themselves to coffee out.

Sakura had begun mentally gearing herself up for the fight that would no doubt come the second she realised it was Ino at the door of Choji's room, so when she spun around to let the blonde Pig have it she was amazed to see a completely defeated look in those pale eyes. The words died in Sakura's throat as she watched Ino sink into a chair and put her head in her hands.

"Go," Ino muttered piteously, "tell me I'm an idiot, yell at me for not telling you sooner, call me a pig..."

Sakura folded her arms across her chest; a little sullen Ino had stolen away her anger. Instead she sat down opposite her friend and took a few deep breaths. She remembered how she had wanted to seem more mature, so when she finally felt she was able to control her voice, she simply said, "tell me what happened."

Ino regarded her, puzzled. She ran her fingers through her long ponytail a few times before settling back in the chair with a sigh. "I don't really know... I honestly was trying for Sai."

Sakura felt her jaw clench but she managed to keep it shut. Well done, Inner-Sakura praised, in a surprised tone.

"I just don't remember anything and honestly, I was kind of ashamed."

"Of Shikamaru?" Sakura wondered out-loud.

"Yes! Well... and no...I don't know." The blonde shrugged at her and Sakura found herself letting go of her wounded pride. She had been so irritated Ino hadn't mentioned this to her when they were supposed to be best friends, but the look of complete helplessness on her face made Sakura realise her friend was just utterly confused. She looked so lost that Sakura placed a hand on Ino's knee and squeezed lightly. "I know Shikamaru is upset with himself – he doesn't want to lose you as his friend."

Ino's eyes widened. "He told you?"

"Well, in a round-about way, I kind of figured it out while he was talking."

Ino sighed. "I thought he was supposed to be smart?"

Sakura chuckled and stood up. "Want to get some tea?"

Ino smiled up at her, "please."

Sakura had no qualms about leaving the hospital after only seeing one patient. Technically she wasn't even supposed to be there and at least now she wouldn't feel guilty about abandoning the training she should have been doing. Comforting her friend was far more important than preparing herself to torture another human being.

She spent a happy afternoon sitting with Ino in their favourite tea shop, trying to figure out the easiest way for the blonde to even be in the same room as her teammate. Eventually, Sakura had convinced her to call on Shikamaru to talk it out. They were on the same team; after all, no doubt they would be forced together on a mission soon. Better to get it out of the way rather than have it cause problems later on, Sakura had mentioned pointedly. She could tell her friend was less than thrilled with the idea, but Ino had agreed reluctantly and set off, deciding she may as well get it over with.

After they had departed, Sakura realised she had nowhere to be. Everyone she might have visited would be busy training or on a mission. She could pay a visit to the bath houses or perhaps take a walk up the monument. The notion of visiting Kakashi strayed across her mind and her feet had started moving in the direction of his apartment before the thought had even finished. So surprised was she at her bodies apparent willingness to see her old sensei that she forced herself to turn around and head towards the looming faces of the five Hokages.

What had that been about?

She wandered down the streets, wondering if it was worth contemplating. She had been awfully confused by the Copy Ninja's behaviour last time they had been together and she was beginning to feel a little too comfortable around him. The man had convinced her to write porn for crying out loud. In fact, in the past week, she had probably spent more time with him than anyone else, which was just strange.

She thought back over the past year.

Kakashi came and went like the full moon. She would see him in the streets or in the Hokage tower between missions. Sometimes he would join them for lunch or training and occasionally they would all head out on a mission as Team Kakashi but that hadn't occurred in quite a long time. If she really thought about it, the two of them had probably spent time alone together perhaps a grand total of five times. She smiled as she remembered how he had sat with her for several hours on her roof top a few months back. He had clearly just come in from a mission, as his clothes were in tatters and the bags under his eyes indicated he hadn't slept properly in days, but he refused to leave when she told him to go and rest, insisting he wanted to stay and relax a while. He always seemed to show up when she needed some company, she realised, remembering how upset she had been the time before that when he had found her outside the Hokage tower staring at the sky. She couldn't even remember why she had been feeling so down on that day he had cheered her up so effectively.

She smiled to herself as she climbed the stairs. Team 7 had truly been blessed the day they received Hatake Kakashi as their sensei. He may have been the scariest thing in the world back then, but her goofy, kind-hearted sensei was a real softie deep, deep down. When he wasn't trying to humiliate her in some way.

The lazy afternoon swept around her as she climbed, a light sheen of sweat beginning to form over her forehead. Summer was drawing to a close but the temperature would only decrease when the sun sank behind the trees. She passed a few people on the way up, smiling and nodding politely as they walked by. A small family holding a picnic basket were coming down from the monument, the little boy laughing happily and skipping down the stairs when he suddenly lost his footing.

His shrill cry split the hazy silence as he clutched at a bleeding knee. His mother and father crouched beside him, trying to comfort him. Sakura smiled at the caring parents and sat in front of the little boy. "Here," she said with a smile. Placing her hand over his knee, she let the cool, healing chakra flow from her hand. The boy gasped slightly and his wide eyes lit up with the faint blue glow as his skin stitched itself back together.

"Thank you so much," the mother smiled at her.

"What do you say, Kyou?" His father asked.

The boy looked between his parents before turning large, cerulean eyes on Sakura. He smiled slightly and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Arigatou, nee-san."

Sakura smiled and ruffled his blonde hair. She reminded him a lot of Naruto. Stepping aside, she waved as they continued down the hillside.

Kakashi watched her with a smile which faded as quickly as it came. Everyone knew Sakura was strong, wilful and stubborn, but few understood the kindness that emanated from her. She was so good- from the top of that bubblegum pink head to the tip of her toes. He was considering heading home when he had spotted her making her way up to the monument and saw the boy fall. Had it occurred to him to help? Not really, the parents were there after all, he would have been fine. Of course Sakura stopped, she was a medic. Kakashi couldn't help feeling she would have stopped even if she wasn't.

He watched her move slowly towards his place in the trees. He had been sitting there idly for the last couple of hours, switching between reading Tactics and dozing in the afternoon heat. Ordinarily he would have set himself up on top of his sensei's spiked hair, but it was too open and he had been attracting chuunin running messages from the Hokage or ANBU like Pakkun to a biscuit barrel. The Godaime was still furious he had yet to hand in his report and ANBU were requesting he help train up a few candidates for captaincy, but Kakashi was in no mood to entertain anyone's summons today. Whereas most people would be happy to take some time off for themselves and relax, Kakashi found himself becoming increasingly frustrated. He was bored. Bored with a very controversial mission hanging over his head.

"Yo," he called out as Sakura drew level with the tree he was sprawled in. She jumped with a start and peered up at him.

"Oh, hi sensei."

He looked down at her and she stared back at him, green eyes regarding him warily. A few charged seconds past while Kakashi waited for her to speak. She tugged on her hair and apparently found something very interesting to look at around the base of his tree, for she wandered over slowly.

"Enjoying your time off?" Kakashi cocked an eyebrow at her. She was never exactly the one for small talk. At least, not with him anyway.

"For someone who is supposed to be keeping an eye on me you sure have been vacant from my life these past few days," he noted with a lazy drawl. She fixed him with a cool stare.

"Who says I haven't? My concealment skills are pretty good these days."

Kakashi grunted and turned a page. "Can't conceal smell from me, Sakura."

He felt the indignation coming off her in waves. "I do not smell!"

He chuckled. "I never said it was a bad smell."

He chanced a glance in her direction and couldn't help smiling at the confused pout. She cocked her head sideways at him. "So... what do I smell like?"

He gave an exaggerated sniff. "Right now, strongly of vanilla, jasmine and tea leaves. The Yamanaka girl always wears the same perfume, so you've been with her, probably at a tea house." He shrugged as her mouth popped open.

"That's just..."

"Cool?" He offered.

"Creepy," she countered.

She sat herself on the ground and leant back against the tree, craning her neck to look up at him. "You have a pretty cosy life, huh?"

"When I'm not getting cut open by S-Class criminals."

"Well, yeah."

They sat in silence for a while, Kakashi turning a page of his book every few minutes while Sakura picked half-heartedly at the grass around her. He wondered whether she was gearing up to ask him something or if, like him, she had nothing better to do than sit around in the sunshine.

"How's the story progressing?" He asked the top of her head.

She gave a frustrated sigh and folded her arms over her chest. Kakashi could picture the disgruntled look on her face, and when she turned to look up at him, it was the perfect resemblance of what his imagination had provided him with, complete with scrunched up nose.

"I tried, honestly, but I don't think I'm very good."

Kakashi swung his legs over the branch and lowered his book to look at her. For reasons he knew were due to serious psychological damage, he wanted Sakura to write the novel. It had occurred to him as the simplest way of understanding what she might want or need from a perspective lover, and generally make his mission a little easier. Plus, he was obsessed with finding out what little fantasies might be playing inside the head of Team Seven's little cherry blossom. He could try and pretend it was simply due to the fact he had to find out, but he had spend the last few days taking perverse pleasure in thinking about the hundreds of possibilities. She had to keep going.

"Perhaps it's something I could help you with?"

She blushed. Why, Kakashi had no idea, he just knew he wanted her to continue writing.

"It-it's actually... well, I don't think I have the necessary, umm- experience to write about... certain- ugh..."

She pulled at her hair and bit her bottom lip. Kakashi dropped down beside her as gracefully as a cat and ruffled her hair before sitting down, perhaps a little closer to her than she had been expecting given the way her eyes widened slightly when she felt his arm brush against hers.

"No experience?" he asked lightly, with an obvious lilt to his voice that she clearly didn't appreciate, judging by the scowl she threw at him.

"I just... I don't know what it feels like to be someone's whole world." Kakashi blinked at her slowly. That was quite an admission, and surely not true.

"You mean an awful lot to Naruto." He pointed out. Apparently this was not what she wanted to hear as she sighed quite loudly.

"That's not what I mean...I've never felt like someone's absolute favourite person. I don't know how to write about it because I've never known it." She shot a sharp look in his direction. "Don't you dare say anything perverted. I don't care if all you're after are cheap thrills – I want this to have a proper storyline."

Kakashi held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "For someone who wasn't too thrilled about the idea you sure are defensive about it."

She huffed at him and turned away.

He considered her a moment. A thought had popped into his head at her words but Kakashi had trained himself years ago to think things through before he said them; unless he had had far too much sake, of course. Then again, it was a simple truth, and she seemed to really need some cheering up.

"You're my favourite person," he offered, with a genuine smile and a crease to his eye.

He heard her small intake of breath and her narrowed eyes bore into his almost suspiciously. Honestly, he was almost hurt. Almost.

"What?"

"That can't be true," she stated, "you have other comrades whose company you enjoy more than mine and even though you're about as open with us as a nun's legs I'm sure you have some secret girlfriend stashed away somewhere or something."

"Pretty imagery aside- and let me assure you, Sakura-chan, that even a nun can be persuaded- there is no one I would rather waste my afternoon's with."

She gazed at him with uncertainty, a small blush creeping up her neck. Well, he wasn't exactly lying. Of all his comrades, she was certainly the least annoying, surprisingly. He didn't think she really expected much from him, so he never had to make an effort around her. Plus if he ever found himself getting bored she was always quick to anger which amused him to no end.

"Thank you," she mumbled softly, clearly taken aback by his words.

Kakashi settled back against the tree, putting his hands behind his head and closing his eye, letting the sun warm his face. He let the silence fall around them and for a time, considered taking another nap. His thoughts were becoming a little sluggish when Sakura finally broke through the quiet.

"Sensei," she asked slowly, "have you ever been in love?"

He cracked his eye open a little to consider her. She had drawn her knees up under her chin and was resting her head upon them. She had a curious yet dejected look about her and Kakashi wondered whether this was worth getting into, especially if she was thinking about bringing up Sasuke. He re-closed his eye and decided, since he appeared to be all honesty this afternoon, to answer.

"Nope."

He heard her clothes shift slightly as she lifted her head to regard him. He could feel her eyes boring into the side of his face.

"What, never?"

He shook his head slightly.

"That's... that's a little sad, sensei."

"Why?" he asked, opening his eye again and giving her his full attention.

She worried at her lip with her teeth, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers, indicating she was thinking hard about something.

"Well," she said finally, obviously contemplating each word. "You're almost 40, and you've never had a relationship where you've loved someone. It must be kind of lonely."

He supposed she was right, he was alone the majority of the time, but he rarely felt lonely. He shrugged at her. "If on the rare occasion I find myself in need of company, I go and find some."

"What, just like that?" She clicked her finger for emphasis and he smiled.

"Just like that."

She looked at him for a few moments before turning to stare unseeingly into the trees around them. "Wish I could do that," she muttered finally.

"You could," he said simply.

She shook her head. "I want a relationship sensei, not your idea of company."

"How do you know what my idea of company is?" He sat up a little straighter, letting his arms fall into his lap. She gave a derisive snort and pointed at his Icha Icha novel. He chuckled and gave it an affectionate pat.

"Nothing wrong with spending a few weeks with someone then moving on," he said matter-of-factly. She was looking at him curiously.

Thinking he may overdo it if he spent anymore time in her company today, Kakashi stood up and stretched, feeling his back crack a few times. Lying in a tree for several hours at a time and falling asleep on his couch was playing hell with his body but he doubted he would be changing his habits any time soon. He was just about to say his farewell when a bird swooped low and screeched at him.

He rubbed his head. "Guess I'm needed."

Another bird fluttered close and screeched at Sakura. They gave each other understanding glances and Kakashi waited while Sakura stood and dusted herself off. They began their descent from the monument, neither one appearing to be in much of a hurry considering their Hokage had some apparent urgent need of them. Kakashi opened his book and decided he had best keep his mouth closed as much as possible. Sakura wasn't particularly chatty at the moment which worked in his favour. She was probably mulling over his words.

Honestly, so was he. Kakashi may admire people or occasionally take a liking to someone, but he never voiced those feelings aloud, and most certainly not to the people they were about. He supposed it was necessary given the ever-looming mission but his decision to say it was still a little vague – 'because it was true' hardly seemed like a convincing argument in his mind as he often kept truths to himself. It had cheered her up a little, he supposed, and a happy teammate was always better than a miserable one.

The two didn't say a word to each other as they made their way into the Hokage Tower but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence in Kakashi's opinion. Sakura seemed so deep in thought she was hardly even aware of his presence and she blinked a few times when she found herself in front of Tsunade's office. He heard a small sigh escape her as she knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Sakura pushed her way inside and Kakashi slouched in after her.

"About time!" The Godaime snapped.

Kakashi glanced up at her. She seemed a little flustered. Scrolls were scattered around her desk of what appeared to be mission requests and shinobi profiles and several other people were standing around her. Two ninja he knew to be in the intel devision were looking rather disgruntled, the younger of the two scratching his head and leaving his long red hair sticking up in places. He noticed two rather squashed looking orange roses had been thrown haphazardly next to a coffee mug, a trail of petals making their way around the desk. Shizune seemed deeply engrossed in a book of some sort and hadn't even looked up to greet them. How rude.

"We have a small situation happening in one of the villages half a day from here. Apparently quite a lot of food and small pricey possessions were stolen last night and they need someone to pick up a trail and bring the stuff back if possible. Shouldn't take you more than a few days." The Hokage didn't even bother looking up as she rattled all this off, instead giving her attention to something in her draws. Apparently everyone was being quite rude in here today.

"I thought Kakashi-sensei wasn't supposed to be going on a mission for a few weeks?" Sakura asked, confused.

Tsunade looked up at this, eyes moving from Sakura to rest on Kakashi. He gave her a winning smile, concealed as ever by his mask. He could see the Godaime fighting to roll her eyes as she said with a nonchalant shrug, "his ninken should make light work of tracking the culprit, it was a no-brainer."

"What about Kiba-kun?" Sakura offered.

"He's busy," the Godaime snapped, "as am I." She threw a small scroll at Kakashi which he plucked from the air effortlessly.

"I expect you back in a few days," the Hokage brought her hands together and rested her chin on them, regarding her elite jounin. "Then you can resume your training." Her eyes focused on Sakura as she said this and Kakashi felt his little teammate squirm guiltily beside him. She shot him a begrudging look, clearly blaming him for her lack of motivation, which he hardly thought was fair.

"In the meantime," Tsunade continued, "Kakashi can impart his wisdom upon you."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at a smiling Tsunade. The woman was despicable.

"That will be all," she said, voice dripping with honey.

Sakura bowed, "Yes, shishou," and made her way out of the office.

Kakashi stared at the Hokage a moment longer, making sure she realised he was not impressed. She merely waved at him then turned her attention back to the shinobi around her. Trudging out, he opened the scroll. It was a basic C-Rank mission and frankly, he was insulted.

"I'm a jounin," he muttered to no one in-particular. Obviously this was Tsunade's way of making sure he and Sakura spent some time alone, and even though his more rational side agreed it was a good idea, he couldn't help feeling a little resentful at the simplicity of the mission, and the fact the Hokage thought he needed help in the first place.

"Where is it?" Sakura asked.

"Tamaji," he replied.

Sakura nodded.

They continued on in silence until they were outside. The sun was finally beginning to set and a small breeze was blowing through the village. Kakashi felt the promise of winter in the wind as it raised goosebumps on his arms. He was happy for the end of summer, not too impressed with the sticky heat he had been longing for autumn ever since spring ended. Sakura shivered beside him, rubbing her hands up and down her bare arms. Kakashi watched her for a moment before bringing his eyes to hers as she began to speak.

"So, first thing in the morning?" she asked.

"Hm?"

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Shall we leave first thing in the morning?"

Kakashi looked around before regarding the sky thoughtfully. There were a few clouds moving in, though nothing that seemed to be threatening rain. He knew if he went home he would no doubt lay around his apartment for hours before falling asleep at some unholy hour, only to wake up miserable tomorrow. He knew it was his own fault for sleeping in so late, but he enjoyed travelling at night and he was in the mood for running.

"How about we leave in half an hour?"

Sakura blinked up at him, clearly put out.

"Well... ok." As she turned away, Kakashi lightly took hold of her elbow, bringing her around to face him.

"Sakura," he began, keeping his hand on her arm. She looked at it wonderingly before turning her eyes up at him. "You and I are actually quite alike," he said with a smile. "I know to a young girl, falling in love seems like the only thing in the world worth doing, but I promise you, there is nothing wrong with being completely loved by your friends and comrades. You don't need anyone to feel validated."

She regarded him thoughtfully for a moment, before grinning at him. "So I'm going to become a perverted old lady who writes porn?"

"One can only hope."

She giggled and he gave her arm a soft squeeze, smiled at her and began making his way down the street.

"Bring the draft," he called over his shoulder. He was dying to read it, even more intrigued since their conversation earlier.

Kakashi strolled down the roads of Konoha, one hand in his pocket, the other clutching his book as always. He ignored the calls of good evening as he usually did and sighed as he felt a familiar presence sidle up beside him.

"I challenge you!"

Kakashi just kept walking.

"Just like my eternal rival to act so cool!" Kakashi didn't even bother glancing up. Spend enough time with a person and you needn't look at them to tell their expression. Gai would no doubt be wearing his usual determined grin, green spandex practically glowing by the light of the lanterns.

"I'm on my way out for a mission, Gai."

"Oh!" He made several passers-by jump with his exclamation, and Kakashi suppressed a groan. He loved Gai, he was a great comrade, incredible fighter and his high spirits were often motivating in the thick of battle. There was almost no other shinobi he would trust at his back as much as Gai, save his students, but the man was almost intolerable when they were in the village.

"I wish you great fortune, my rival! I expect nothing less than victory from you!"

"Naturally," Kakashi muttered.

"Let us postpone rivalry battle number 305 until you return!"

Kakashi simply nodded. He was looking forward to it almost as much as a kunai through the chest. At least he had the pleasure of choosing this time. He half contemplated an ice-cream eating competition. He would let Gai win simply so he could laugh at the expression on the green beast's face when his sensitive teeth kicked in.

An hour and a half later, Kakashi sauntered up to the gates with a happy wave at his obviously disgruntled teammate.

"Yo," he said, making sure his voice sounded as happy as he could make it. He chuckled inwardly at her dark expression and followed as she abruptly turned and stormed through the gates of Konoha.

"Have fun," Kotetsu called, grinning at the Copy Ninja. He and Izumo clearly believed going on a mission with a grumpy Sakura would be terrible, judging by their faces, but they weren't privy to Kakashi's knowledge of the pink-haired terror. She would be fine in an hour, mostly because she could hardly fight with someone who was too lazy to respond.


	8. Chapter 8 Oh my sensei

Sakura huffed loudly for the fifth time in half an hour. She knew it was pointless, he wasn’t paying her the slightest bit of attention. Kakashi had been meandering along with a happy eye crinkle after absolutely refusing to acknowledge her initial tirade. Once she realised yelling was getting her nowhere, she had taken to sighing loudly to no avail. She pouted, crossing her arms and glaring at the path ahead of her. She should have known better; the man was even more stubborn than she was.   
They had run for about an hour but shouting and running at the same time had taken its toll on Sakura’s stamina and eventually she was forced to jog. Realising she was no longer keeping up, Kakashi had waited for her before continuing on at an amble. Sakura had recovered, however, she was secretly enjoying her walk under the trees and had no inclination to up the pace again. The night had settled pleasantly around them and although there was a slight chill in the air, constantly moving was taking the edge off.   
Sakura realised it had been a few minutes since her last sigh so decided to let off a particularly loud and exaggerated one. She slid her eyes over to Kakashi’s form and waited a few seconds. When he didn’t react she kicked a tree over.   
He chuckled.  
“Did you just laugh at me?” she demanded.  
Silence.  
Sakura gave a small, glum sigh. Her anger dissipated with that one simple flutter of breath and she condemned herself to a night of misery in this man’s company. Why? Why did he enjoy irritating her so much? Most people would think he was insane; not even Naruto pushed her buttons like her infuriating sensei. She contemplated breaking a few of his bones. She could heal them, nobody would ever know… She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He was slightly ahead of her to the left. If she was to pounce he would never even see her com-  
“I wouldn’t, Sakura-chan.”  
She swore loudly.   
She could almost hear him grinning.  
Eventually, Kakashi decided to put them back on track and broke into a run without warning. Sakura was so surprised by the sudden outburst she actually dropped to the ground fearing an attack. Realising her mistake she quickly took after him, hoping to Kami he hadn’t noticed. He gave no inclination he’d seen her little freak out but that meant nothing.   
After several hours they came upon the town of Tamaji. Considering the lateness of the hour, Sakura was surprised to see how many people were still out and about. Voices drifted over the breeze and Sakura couldn’t help feeling like the majority of the people moving between the dimly lit buildings were incredibly drunk.   
“Lots of people around,” she mumbled.  
“Hm,” was Kakashi’s only response before setting off down the path. Upon walking into the town, Sakura realised her initial assumption was correct. Everywhere she looked were signs of different states of inebriation. Outside what looked like the dodgiest bar she had ever seen two men were throwing punches at each other to a cheering crowd. Several girls were whispering and giggling loudly, wearing outfits Sakura wouldn’t consider putting on under penalty of death. When she and Kakashi walked passed, the closest woman called out. “Looking for some fun, sugar?”  
“Not particularly,” her silver-haired jonin replied casually, without breaking stride. Sakura eyed the woman as she followed, taking note of her dyed red hair, pouting lips and ridiculously perky breasts. She made a mental note of her appearance, just in case. You could never be too careful outside of the Leaf; anyone could be a potential enemy.  
“Well, if you are looking for one, you can always go back and ask her.”  
Sakura blinked stupidly for a few seconds before she caught Kakashi’s meaning.  
“Oh – don’t be gross!” She glanced back over her shoulder. “I have standards.”  
She followed him into a rather tidy looking building and smiled vaguely at the attendant, letting Kakashi organise their rooms while she examined a board full of flyers and information regarding events happening in the town. A lot of them seemed to consider drinking. Apparently some festival was happening that evening, which explained the amount of people in the streets. Kakashi beckoned her towards the stairs and led the way.   
The carpets in this place looked in desperate need of a clean. She had a feeling the strange, off-brown colour may have actually been yellow once. The faded wallpaper was peeling in places and the mock- chandelier in the hallway was covered in cobwebs.  
“Why do we never stay in classy places?” Sakura wondered aloud.  
“Because we’re not classy.” Kakashi stuck the key in a plain wooden door and jiggled it for a few moments before shoving it open. The room was dark and musty, but at least it smelt clean. Sakura could detect the faint odour of lemon disinfectant. Flicking on the lights, she noted the same carpet throughout the room as outside. There wasn’t much to see. A small table stood beside a large double bed. There was a door to her left which she presumed was the bathroom. A single painting was on the beige wall on the opposite side of the room. It looked like a bowl of fruit but it had been painted in various shades of green. The bed covers had obviously been selected to match, being a dark green with a gold trim. It wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it definitely wasn’t the worst place she’d ever stayed.   
Kakashi had wandered into the bathroom and shut the door. She was staring at it blankly when the sound of running water hit her ears. She walked over and banged on it. Given the way the wood bounced in its hinges, she probably hit it harder than she intended.  
“Umm, can you please go and take a shower in your own room?”  
“I am,” came the reply.   
Sakura stared dumbly at the door before taking herself over the bed and flopping down unceremoniously. So apparently they were sharing a room. It wasn’t so bad, they had shared before. To be honest, she was really confused about why she suddenly felt so nervous. In fact, a few times to save money on missions, she had been forced to share a room with her whole team. Crammed in together had been frustrating but she had never felt the gnawing twist in her stomach she was feeling now. She sat up and stared around, worrying the sleave of her shirt between her fingers. What was her problem?  
She gasped. There was only one bed. The two of them would be alone in the room and he expected her to share a bed? What the hell was he thinking?! Oh, there was no way!  
She stood up, folded her arms and glared kunai at the bathroom door.   
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Kakashi sighed happily, rubbing the towel over his arms and down his chest. There was nothing like a hot shower after a run. In fact, he was feeling so refreshed and awake he was half thinking of going back out to do some recon to tire himself out. Half-thinking; there was no chance he would actually do it. Partly because he was lazy and mostly because he couldn’t wait to hear the indignant shout of his little teammate once she turned the shower on and realised he had left her no hot water. Oh the simplest joy in life was watching the heat rise in her pretty face.   
As he was busy smirking to himself, he noticed the smallest vibration run through the wooden door. It took his brain less than half a second to realise what was coming. Kakashi leaped back into the shower just as the door exploded around him. The millisecond before Sakura came through the opening where the flimsy wooden door had just been presented Kakashi with quite a dilemma. He had one towel and two areas that needed covering. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long enough to cover both, so he made his choice and that was it.  
“How DARE you just assume I would be ok with this! What the hell is wrong with-“  
Sakura’s mouth dropped open and silence fell around them. To her credit, she recovered quite quickly. “Is there any particular reason you haven’t covered up,” she asked. The tone in her voice indicated that the calm she was emanating was barely quelling the rage boiling under the surface.   
“I have covered up” he replied with a shrug.  
Kakashi saw her slender pink eyebrow twitch and was thankful the towel was hiding his grin.  
“Yunno,” she said, crossing her arms, “I don’t know why I’m still so shocked at the way your mind works after all these years when it’s clear you have no ability to relate to social norms.”  
“Such as..?”  
“How about; you do not share a bed with a woman you are not married to, or in any form of relationship with. Or; when a woman you are neither married to or in any form of relationship with walks into the bathroom, you cover your damn penis!”  
Kakashi took a moment to enjoy the fact she actually said the word penis in front of him. When he was ready, he replied, “Technically, social norm would dictate that you don’t kick down a bathroom door when you know someone is in the shower.”  
“I punched it,” Sakura drawled, glaring at him.  
“If I didn’t know any better Sakura-chan, I’d say you were hoping to catch me naked. Would you like me to turn the water back on to add to this visual delight?”  
She flushed. Kakashi braced himself for the tirade. Perhaps that was a little too far…  
Sakura turned around and huffed back through the ‘door.’ Kakashi took his time to get changed, wondering when she was going to let him have it. Maybe she was waiting to assail him once he walked back into the room. Poor girl, she had probably never seen a naked man before now. At least, not one that was in need of medical attention. It was probably easier to ignore someone’s nakedness if you were focused on healing them. In this situation she didn’t really have anything to focus on but her anger – which admittedly, was usually enough for her.   
Not wanting to leave the bathroom but knowing he couldn’t hang out in there all night, Kakashi cautiously entered the room. Sakura was sitting at the window with her knees tucked under her chin. She looked so small, gazing out over the village while the noises of the nightlife drifted in. Kakashi had fully intended to push her buttons a little further, but instead he sighed and sank heavily onto the mattress.   
“I don’t know what the big deal is Sakura, it’s not like we haven’t slept together before.” She gave him a peculiar look over her knees. Yes, Kakashi thought, that was an intentional choice of words. Out loud, he simply said, “If it bothers you that much I’ll sleep on the floor.”  
“No,” Sakura sighed and hopped down from the window ledge, “I’m just being silly. I just thought we would have separate rooms or at least separate beds or something.”  
“This is cheaper.”  
“Ah yes,” she rolled her eyes, “I forgot how incredibly cheap you are.”  
He grinned at her and lay down on the bed. He closed his eyes and tried to pretend she wasn’t there, but he was acutely aware of her every movement. She glided almost silently over to the bed and hesitated a moment before tentatively sitting on the mattress. Everything she did seemed to be painstakingly thought out, which was proving rather confusing for Kakashi. Surely she was comfortable enough around him by now? He didn’t understand what the big deal was really. It wasn’t like she was aware of what this whole farce of a mission was actually about.   
A thought suddenly occurred to him – one that would have seen him bolt upright and run from the room in a panic if he hadn’t had years of practise masking his emotions; both figuratively and literally. What if she was actually interested in him? It wasn’t that ridiculous, surely? She had spent years idolising him (or so he assumed), it wouldn’t be the first time a student had developed some lucrative thoughts about their sensei. He cracked an eyelid and peered over at her. She was perched precariously on the very edge of the bed, picking at invisible threads on the blanket. It might explain this sudden bout of nervousness. It would also explain a few other aspects of her behaviour lately.  
Intrigued, Kakashi sat up and made a big show of fluffing the pillows and resting against the headboard. “So,” he said, “let’s see it.” He took special care to ensure his voice had a slight leer.  
“W-what?” Sakura stammered. The skin around her ears and neck began turning to a similar colour as her hair  
Interesting.  
“You brought the Icha Icha draft you’ve been playing around with, right?”  
“Oh, yeah…” Seeming relieved at an excuse to get off the bed, the kunoichi leapt up and began rummaging through her bag.   
“Now, you mustn’t laugh,” she said, walking back over to the bed and flicking through the pages.  
“Mustn’t I?” Kakashi asked with a grin  
She shot him an unimpressed look before sitting on the bed with a little less care than before. She was still as far away from him as it was possible for her to be, but at least she didn’t look like she was sitting on top of Samehada anymore.   
“Seriously though, it’s not like I’m actually a writer and it’s kind of embarrassing so please be kind,” she offered the pages to him and looked reluctantly after them as he greedily snatched them away.  
For the next ten minutes Kakashi drank in the words. He had to begrudgingly admit, it wasn’t half bad. She may not have possessed Jiraiya’s talent and there was definitely a lot less sexual activity than he was used to, but she had done alright. He kind of half wished it would have been awful so he could have teased her without mercy, but he couldn’t really fault it. Their conversation earlier had clearly been in regards to the scene where the main kunoichi is racing to save her lover, but the writing was so clever that if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t have been able to tell Sakura didn’t really understand that feeling. To be honest, he didn’t either. He had raced to save a friend, a comrade, his students, but never a lover.   
He became aware of her intense stare and glanced up to meet her eyes briefly before scouring the page again for some hidden intel into her own, rather lacking, sex life.   
“I’m actually kind of impressed,” he said with a shrug.  
“You don’t have to sound so shocked,” she smiled.  
“When are they getting naked?” A pillow connected with the side of his head. He rubbed over his hair with an absent-minded smile and handed the pages back to her.  
“Are you going to keep going?” he asked instead.  
“Well,” she shuffled the papers around in her hands. He had already put them in the right order but she seemed to be stalling. After a few seconds, she gave a huge sigh and lay down on the bed. “I actually kind of want to, but - I don’t know. It’s hard. Jiraiya had all this experience with love and life and I’m just… me…”  
“And what’s wrong with you?”  
She looked up at him. “Let’s just say life has a hell of a lot more to offer me.”  
“Ah…. I don’t have to wait for you to have whatever you want from life before you write more, do I?”  
“Yes, sensei, because this has nothing to do with me and is all about keeping your dirty little mind satisfied.” Kakashi could almost see the sarcasm dripping out of her mouth.  
“Wait,” She sat up on her elbows and grinned at him. “You just complimented me.”  
“What?”  
“You said you were impressed.”  
“Hm.”  
She gave a small chuckle and settled back onto the bed, wriggling to find a comfy spot. Closing her eyes, she said with a smile, “oh just wait til Naruto hears. He is going to be all over you.”  
“I’ll deny it.”  
“So what, he’ll still be demanding compliments from you from now on.”  
“Mm.” Kakashi cursed himself silently. Just great.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
His touch was like lightning sliding over silk.   
Sakura couldn’t believe how amazing the simple act of his hands moving slowly down her arms felt. A small moan escaped her lips as she felt the hairs raise wherever his fingers moved. When he reached her hands, he slowly brought one up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss once, twice on her knuckles, before sliding his tongue slowly up her index finger. She glanced into his mismatched eyes before having a mental breakdown and jerking violently away.  
Sakura blinked in the darkness. What the hell..?  
Pushing the hair from her face, Sakura sat up. Her cheeks felt warm and her body tingled strangely. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, reality crashed in around her and she realised with horror that she was not at home in her own bed as she had initially thought, but on a mission, sharing a bed with her sensei.  
Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and froze.  
What-if-he-had-heard?! She had to face it, the dream she had been having was rather vivid and she wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised if some of those moans had actually escaped. She whimpered quietly before she could stop herself and begged to whatever God’s existed that tonight had been the one night that Kakashi Hatake had slept like a log rather than his usual, hyper-alert self. She had watched a feather fall from a passing owl, land on his arm and wake him up once; it seemed ridiculous to think a woman lying next to him making incredibly inappropriate noises would not.  
She had to know. She needed to risk checking to see if he was awake. If he was, maybe she could pass it off as a nightmare? It was quickly turning into one at any rate. What on earth had that dream been about anyway? She could only blame the fact that they had been spending a fair bit of time together that week and he was making her write that porn filth. Not that there was any porn in it yet. Though apparently her subconscious seemed to wish there was.   
Oh Kami….  
Sakura squinted over to where her sensei lay beside her.  
Blinking confusedly, she glanced down the bed and found only his calves and feet.  
Ok.. she thought.  
It seemed that her sensei had either decided to sleep on the floor with his legs propped up or had at some point fallen out of bed. She found the latter option least likely. Why would he want to sleep on the floor? Oh no, he really had heard her! What if she had been trying to act out the dream?  
Sakura nearly let out a cry of despair but chocked on it instead. That could be the only reason. She had chased him out of the bed with her insane dream antics. He would never look at her again, let alone go on a mission with her. How was she going to speak to him?   
Sakura listened carefully for a few minutes. Kakashi’s breathing seemed pretty slow and even, maybe he actually was asleep? Deciding that she would totally go with the nightmare excuse if he wasn’t, she slowly shuffled onto his side of the bed and poked her head over the edge.  
Kakashi was lying straight enough, with one arm holding the pillow underneath his head, so she assumed he had put himself on the floor. His hair was sticking out all over the place like a giant silver mess of wool and his other arm was resting lightly on his stomach. He had moved his shirt up slightly and Sakura was painfully aware of the abdominal muscles peeping up at her. More frustrating than that, the distinct ‘V’ shape that she knew to be the iliac furrow was distinguished in the way only an incredibly fit and toned male body could display.   
Feeling like a complete pervert, she moved back and rested her head on her pillow. She had the horrible feeling the morning was going to be riddled with embarrassment. She was sticking to that nightmare story though, and she would until the day she died.   
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
“I had a terrible dream last night, it was awful.”  
“Mm?”  
“Yeah, it was like we were back in the village the day Pein came… very scary.”  
“Hn.”  
Liar, liar, Sakura-chan  
Kakashi had just come back from brushing his teeth to find that his student had finally woken up and was busy brushing her hair into a ponytail or whatever it was called. Unsurprisingly, she was making sure to keep herself busy and as she flung herself out of bed and began collecting her things from around the room, her eyes never landed on him. He was almost ashamed, surely as her sensei, he would have taught her how to tell a decent lie.  
If she had looked him in the eye and lied, he probably would have let it go. As it was, her obvious shame tickled him, and he decided that he just wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t poke at this bear.  
“I thought I heard some, ah- moaning last night. Must have been quite scary…”  
She glanced at him, panic plain on her face. Tsk, tsk, Kakashi thought, what kind of kunoichi can’t mask her emotions? She would have to get a hell of a lot better at it if she was going to fool whatever guy it was running the dodgy kunai operation. He felt the frown form on his face. What if she couldn’t do it? She was just far too easy to read, she wouldn’t be able to seduce anyone without her real intentions being plastered all over her face. That could potentially be fatal. Perhaps he really should be focused on what he was actually on this ridiculous mission to do in the first place. He watched her move around the room with an air of casualness that was so clearly fake. Whenever he started enjoying himself around her, the impending realism of his situation came crashing down on him. He didn’t want to do it, but he sure as hell didn’t want anyone else doing it.  
He was so, royally fucked.   
“So,” Sakura brought him back to real life with a bang as she threw her pack onto the table. “What on earth were you doing on the floor last night?”  
“Ah,” Kakashi scratched the back of his head with his usual, patented eye-crease of happiness. “Do you want the truth, or a more comfortable version?”  
She stopped rummaging through her pack to eye him suspiciously. He could read a thousand things in those bright eyes, none of which told him whether or not his question was actually wise. Still, she would understand the meaning whether she wanted to admit it or not, so the ball was in her court, as they say.  
“The truth…” Well, that did surprise him. She seemed a little appalled at the betrayal of soft, simple words that had fallen from her lips. She gave him a look that clearly said she hadn’t meant them, but too bad. Kakashi was a grown man, he wasn’t backing down now.  
“Well, the truth is, your – let’s call them, moans of terror – were proving to be rather engrossing in the most perplexing way.”  
Her eyes widened so much her eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hair, and given the rather generously sized forehead she was sporting, that was quite an effort.   
“Wh-what is that supposed to mean?”  
“It was rather flustering, Sakura, and at the end of the day, I’m only a man.”   
“So… you… you had to get of the bed because, you were… turned… on..?” She was looking at him with such a doleful and confounded expression that it almost melted his stone heart. She truly seemed to believe that it would be impossible for him to be aroused by her. Well, until last night, so had he.  
“Yep,” he agreed with a grin.  
“Oh…” she put her back to him and continued to pack her bag, clearly to hide the insane blush that had drowned her face in red. Kakashi began to gather up his few measly possessions. Considering he owned so little, it was amazing how his things managed to always find opposite corners of the room. He found one of his shoes over by the door, which wasn’t too unusual. The other one he located next to the toilet. Coming to the conclusion that there was obviously a legitimate reason for this, he wandered back into the main room to find that Sakura was packed and waiting by the door.   
“We won’t be coming back tonight, right?”  
“Doubt there’ll be any reason to.” Tsunade wouldn’t be too thrilled that he hadn’t taken advantage of her kindly given opportunity, but too bad. If he was going to go through with this, it would be on his own terms. Sakura had been nodding thoughtfully.  
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.   
“Because we’re not coming back?” He cocked his head at her.  
“No you idiot,” she snapped. Taking a composing breath, she said in a rush, “for turning you on last night. I didn’t mean to.”   
Kakashi shifted uncomfortably. Trying to come to terms with the most awkward apology he had ever received, he said with a shrug, “it’s alright, it’s not like you can control your dreams. Or my reaction to said dreams.”  
“Right,” she mumbled, still looking uneasy.   
“What was it about, anyway?”  
She opened her mouth and stared at him. He watched as the indignation flooded into her eyes, darkening them to an almost forest green colour. “You are such a pervert!”  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Sakura stamped along the dusty road in silent chagrin. If she had to admit, kunai to her throat, it wasn’t even Kakashi that she was so furious with, but herself for allowing the situation to develop in the first place. How joyous it was a week ago when he was just her eccentric, goofy, old sensei that made her feel equal parts comfort and inadequacy. Now she was ashamed, embarrassed, intrigued and a load of other things – half of which she didn’t care to name. She gave herself a mental shake and decided not to explore this avenue too closely, afraid of what was waiting at the end. Instead, she decided the best thing she could do for herself right now was to be completely distracted by the mission. That way, they could get back home and she could bury herself in her research and not have to talk to him for a while.   
Swallowing her prideful irritability, she turned to the ever apathetic jonin who was dawdling a few feet behind her and said, “so, where are we meeting the clients?”  
“Oh,” Kakashi pulled his nose out of icha icha tactics to fix her with a wide eye, “why, you were storming along with such surety I assumed you knew.”  
Sakura felt her eyebrow twitch of its own volition, something she knew was a sign that her fury was beginning to bubble forth from the dark well she shoves it down. He was treading on very thin ice and apparently he could tell. Kakashi snapped his book shut and slipped it into his back pocket, clearing his throat quietly.  
“They’ve asked us to join them in the home of the man who appears to have suffered the most financial loss. Yoshida Daichi, I believe is his name.”  
“What did he lose?”  
Kakashi rummaged quickly through his pack and pulled out their mission scroll. After a quick scan, he shrugged. “Just says some food and valuable items.”  
“I’m guessing they’re not too fussed about the food then,” Sakura kicked a pebble on the road with more force than she meant and watched as it sored across the street and struck the side of a barrel. Several men standing nearby yelled in alarm as red liquid began pouring out of the side. As a rather large man began bellowing at them about any money he lost coming out of their pockets, the two smaller and dirtier looking men began scrabbling around in a panic looking for something to block the hole.  
She turned towards the sound of Kakashi’s exaggerated sigh. “What?” She asked, demanding him to make a big deal out of it. Sure, she felt guilty, but in her foul mood she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to pick a fight.  
“Nothing. Let’s get going shall we?”  
He tucked the scroll away and leapt up the nearest building before racing away across the roof tops. Sakura stretched out her limbs before jumping after him. He wouldn’t be too hard to catch up with.  
Dirt and leaves swirled around her ankles as she landed on the cracked and faded tiles. Sakura spotted her sensei, already a blur in the distance, before racing after him. She had no idea why she was surprised at his speed. She knew how fast he could move but it always took her breath away. It was probably due to the fact he spent the majority of his time in her company loafing around with that book in his hands. The slouch didn’t help perceptions either. Maybe it was all an elaborate act to fool his enemies into thinking he was actually slow? Well, it would work, she always managed to forget the blistering pace he could set.   
Sakura flicked a strand of pink hair that had become lose and danced across her vision. Her eyes landed on Kakashi’s figure and she felt a momentary flash of pride on seeing she was catching up, before realising he had actually stopped and was waiting for her. In her frustration, Sakura pushed off from the final rooftop before Kakashi’s and had to slide to a haphazard stop beside him, scattering several tiles onto the street below.   
To his credit, Kakashi pretended not to notice.  
“There’s our man,” he pointed to a large and rather ostentatious house across the street. If Sakura were a thief, she would have definitely targeted that house. It wasn’t surprising the man standing at the gate had found himself bereft of some prized possessions. The house was definitely bigger than any of the others around and do be honest, reminded Sakura of a miniature castle. It was obviously well looked after and had a beautiful garden in full bloom. The place almost seem to shine and as she sidled up to the gate, she felt like her mere presence was probably getting dust all over the property. She half expected a maid of sorts to run out and start washing her down.   
Sakura made sure to do all the usual checks as she walked up the path, noting possible escape routes and vantage points around the property should they come under attack. She assumed Kakashi would be doing the same and didn’t feel the need to confirm the side-street twenty metres from the east side of the house would be their best path. Yoshida Daichi appeared to be uncomfortable but whether he was anxious about having two shinobi in his house because of their deadly skills as assassins or because they would no doubt get dirt all over his pristine floors, Sakura couldn’t tell.  
“Yoshida-san, it is good to meet you,” Sakura smiled and held her hand out. He took it, though rather reluctantly. His hand shake was as weak as he seemed and Sakura found herself instantly disliking the rather short and portly man. Plus, she really hated nose hair and boy was his coming out grey and bushy. Apparently all the hair that had once been on his head had decided to grow out of his nose and eyebrows. Gai-sensei would have been impressed. He seemed a little unsure of how to react to their presence, which Sakura found odd, considering he had requested it.  
“This is my teammate, Hatake Kakashi, and I am Haruno Sakura.” She decided to push on regardless.  
“Yes,” Kakashi held out his own hand, “I’m her captain, Kakashi.”  
Yoshida nodded, taking the jonin’s hand, “Hatake-san, Haruno-san, please come inside.”  
Sakura followed, choosing to ignore Kakashi’s little jibe, instead dedicating herself to scrutinising every available detail. The place was flawless. Everything seemed to be made from polished mahogany with many ornate vases and intricate paintings about the place. Sakura wondered what the thieves had actually found worth taking if they were willing to leave all the rest behind. Though why take food, she still hadn’t fathomed.  
Sakura followed Yoshida into a small room which had three chairs, a table (mahogany of course) and a large painting of a mountain on one wall. Sakura could tell from the sounds of trickling water so close that the sliding doors must have led out into another part of the garden and made a point of choosing the chair furthest away from these. Kakashi, as predicted, made the next best choice, leaving Yoshida with his back against the larger doors. Not that ninja were at all paranoid.  
“So,” Kakashi placed the scroll on the table. “What exactly are the few small items that you would like us to retrieve?”  
“Yes,” the old man was shifting in his chair, hands fiddling with his charcoal coloured yukata. “Well, I’m not bothered about most of it. Truth be told, I wasn’t going to even bother contacting your village.”  
The man surveyed Kakashi with a fearful look and Sakura nearly sighed. Why was it that the ones who were scared of ninja never seemed to think she was a threat? Kakashi simply raised an eyebrow as if to say go on, and Yoshida coughed slightly before continuing.   
“My daughter, she had a… friend, of sorts, accompanying her the night of the theft. Something of her friends was taken that they simply must have back.” He rubbed his brow nervously and Sakura seriously wondered what had happened to make the guy so afraid.   
“I’m not sure of the details, but it’s some kind of small box. Apparently there is something very important inside that he must have returned.”   
“Ok,” Kakashi said. Sakura could tell he was busy analysing Yoshida so she took it upon herself to keep an eye on their surroundings instead. Kakashi was much more suspicious of people than she was so if this man was keeping something important from them her sensei would figure it out. She sat and listened to the background noise instead. The ever-present drip of water was most prominent, but as she began tuning it out, Sakura became more aware of the closest comings and goings of the household members. Several pairs of feet were shuffling close by, and a dull murmur of voices let her know there were at least three people who would be able to get to their current position within seven seconds. Faintly, she thought she could make out the sound of sobbing, but it was drowned out but approaching footsteps. They were heavy, slow, but moving with purpose. Sakura sat up straighter and a small twitch of his hand let her know that Kakshi had registered her movement.  
“So,” he said, leaning back casually, “who else is joining us?”  
“S-sorry?” Yoshida had time to ask, before the garden doors behind him were opened and sunlight came streaming into the room. Sakura narrowed her eyes to limit the glare and prepared to spring, but the man in the doorway was all smiles.   
“I’m so honoured to meet two esteemed Leaf shinobi!” He exclaimed, offering his hand. Sakura glanced over at Kakashi. He only hesitated half a second, but it was enough for her. As Kakashi took the newcomers hand, Skaura scanned every inch of him for possible concealed weapons. She couldn’t pick anything, and as Kakashi glanced back to introduce her, she casually scratched her chin. He raised his eyebrow slightly to show he understood the man was unarmed, before turning on his best fake smile. “This is my partner, Sakura.”

“Partner now, is it?” She said jokingly, shaking the stranger’s hand.  
“It’s an absolute delight, Sakura-chan.” She liked him even less now. He didn’t know her well enough for Sakura-chan. “My name is Saturo.”  
“A pleasure, Satoru-san.” Sakura returned with her sweetest smile. She could tell he was hooked. Too easy, she thought, watching his pupil’s contract and his smile widen. She could admit he was pretty cute. In another circumstance, she might have even had encouraged a little flirting, but she was on a mission, slightly on edge and most importantly, Kakashi had definitely gotten a bad vibe. Yes, shinobi were cautious, but Kakashi was powerful enough that running into a stranger wouldn’t have perturbed him at all usually, but his hesitation had definitely put Sakura on high alert.   
“This is the man I was talking about.” Yoshida offered weakly. Sakura had almost forgotten he was there.   
“Ah,” Kakashi nodded, “the man with the mystery box.”   
Satoru chuckled. “Indeed, it is most unfortunate that it has been misplaced. I’m very grateful that you are willing to track down the miscreants that took it. They gave Yoshida-san’s daughter such an awful fright! Poor thing…”  
Something about Satoru’s smile made Sakura think that he was way too familiar with ‘Yoshida-san’s daughter.’   
“Such a beauty, that girl. It saddens me to see my dear friend so upset by these events. Honestly, she didn’t lose anything herself, she just knows how important that box is to me.”   
Yep, Sakura decided, definitely something going on there. She noted the way Yoshida shuffled uncomfortably and inner Sakura nodded knowingly.  
“Well, we’ll do everything we can to make sure Yoshida’s beauty of a daughter is smiling again in no time.” Apparently Kakashi has realised it too. He gave a slight bow before heading to the doors. “If someone would be so kind as to show my comrade and I where exactly the thieves broke in.”  
“It would be my pleasure,” Satoru exclaimed, pushing past Yoshida and leading the way. Sakura managed to contain a frustrated sigh. The man was grating on her nerves and she didn’t really know why. Probably the blatant way he acted like the man of the house in front of the actual man of the house. Though she didn’t particularly like Yoshida, either, there was a certain respect that was expected from guests in a person’s home.  
Unsurprisngly, Satoru lead them to the daughter’s bedroom. It was rather plain but the window overlooking the garden was huge.   
“This is where the box was taken from,” Satoru explained.   
“Really?” Kakashi pondered, “Seems strange that a guest would keep his belongings in a young woman’s room.”   
Sakura bit back a laugh. The atmosphere had suddenly become a little frosty and Mr Charm’s face fell into a rather ugly grimace. “Yes, well, she was interested in it so I let her keep it for the night.”  
“You said it had something extremely important in it,” Kakashi pointed out, “a little foolish to leave it in an unguarded room with a woman who probably has no combat skills whatsoever.”   
Satoru’s eyebrow twitched and Sakura smirked to herself. She had no doubt Kakashi was wearing a similar look under his mask. Momentarily, at any rate, because as she heard the door open, his eyes widened. Sakura glanced over her shoulder before doing a double take. In the doorway was a fairly tall woman with dark hair that flowed like silk down her body, almost to her navel. Her eyes were brown, but not in a boring, dark way like her father’s, but in a vibrant, warm way that even Sakura had to admit was captivating.   
She had no doubt this was Yoshida’s daughter, and was for a fleeting second quite sympathetic towards Satoru. The girl was gorgeous. It suddenly dawned on her that her ‘Captain’ was more than aware of this point too, and slowly sidled up beside him to deliver a subtle elbow to the ribs.  
Kakashi cleared his throat.   
“Ah,” Satoru beamed at her, “this is Yoshida’s daughter, Yuuki.” Kakashi bowed his head slightly in greeting and Sakura simply glared.   
“Good morning,” the woman spoke, her voice as flawless as her face. “I truly hope you locate Satoru’s belongings. It is grievously upsetting to me that this has happened while he was visiting in our town.”  
“You’re grievously upset about a small wooden box being taken?” Sakura asked flatly.   
Kakashi cleared his throat a little louder this time. “What my team member means is that we will be leaving to track down the thieves right away. Hopefully shouldn’t take too long.”   
Team member? Sakura scowled at the happy eye-crease he was shooting Yuuki.   
“Come, Sakura,” Kakashi said brusquely, “let’s go and see if we can find any tracks.”   
Kakashi made for the door. Obviously it was one of only two ways out of the room and clearly the more logical choice, but the obvious jump in his step irritated Sakura enough that she turned swiftly and strode to the window. “Let’s try some method acting,” she muttered, before twisting the handle and shoving it open forcefully. It banged against the house and the glass shuddered. She was actually glad it didn’t break. She really couldn’t afford to pay for anything in this house.   
“Uh, Sakura…”  
She turned and winked at her sensei before leaping onto the window ledge. “Obviously you’re taking the long way round,” she drawled, “so I’ll see you outside, old man.”  
She really didn't like Yuuki.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Kakashi learnt two things about Yoshida Yuuki during the 107 seconds it took them to catch up to Sakura. Number one, the woman was frightfully beautiful. Even more stunning up close. He had to admit he was hugely jealous of that Satoru guy. Lucky bastard. Suspicious, obviously-up-to-no-good, smooth talking, lucky bastard. Secondly, she was boring. Really, who was this upset over losing a box? It was like some great tragedy had befallen her household and she was forever cursed with the shame for the rest of eternity. He listened regardless, mostly because under the whole piety vibe, she may actually know something, but partly because she was beautiful. Women love it when you pretend to care.  
He found his irrational teammate stomping through some bushes, no doubt searching for clues. He saw Yoshida-san shudder as Sakura squashed some purple flowers in her haste. He noted she didn’t even acknowledge their presence. He was going to have to retort to that old man jibe eventually. Oh well, it’s not every day he meets a woman that looks like Yuuki.   
“Excuse me,” he said with a smile to the Yoshida’s, before pulling a scroll out of his vest pocket. Summoning the ninkin (with a little theatrical flourish, he’ll admit) he set them to work scouting the area for any unfamiliar smells.  
Kakashi watched Sakura greet Pakkun with a pat and a smile before the pug ran after the others. She stood up and turned to face him, hands on her hips.   
“Ready to work then?” She snapped.  
“Always,” he grinned.


	9. Chapter 9 - Dazed and Confused

A/N - Again I apologise profusely for the time it takes me to update! Thank you to the followers who are sticking with me! Especially to those who emailed me to ask if I was still going, it's very flattering to know people are looking forward to your work and all your emails act like a good kick in the butt to get me writing again! :D

It didn't take long for Kakashi's dogs to pick up a scent for them to follow and Sakura felt better the further away they got from that preposterous house with all its pretentious people. Tearing through the trees at break-neck speed was exhilarating enough that she could tolerate the sound of her sensei's footfalls behind her. Yes, behind her. For whatever reason, he was letting her lead the way. She had no idea why and would usually be suspicious, but she was actually having fun. It had been a long time since she had been on a mission that involved loads of running and little risk, and it felt really good.

Sakura was quite surprised at how silent the dogs moved as well. For some reason, she had been expecting them to bark to let her know where they were, but obviously being ninken, they knew the benefits of moving silently. As she cleared through a wash of golden red leaves, she broke into a small clearing and noticed all of the dogs wandering around with their noses to the ground. Clearly they had lost the scent momentarily. She landed in a crouch next to Pakkun before straightening up and looking around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but the wind had picked up. She wasn't sure if it was the strength of the breeze, the fact that it was just on the cold side of being pleasant, or that the leaves rustling was the only sound she could hear, but Sakura suddenly felt a ball of unease forming in her stomach.

Kakashi landed behind her, close enough that she knew if she was to take half a step backwards that they would be back-to-back. For whatever reason, his simply being so near caused that little ball to tighten nauseatingly. Neither spoke for a few minutes, each hyper-aware of their surroundings, using all of their senses to memorise every inch of that clearing and the surrounding tree line, both trying desperately to see beyond into the darkened green depths.

It was a matter of time, of that Sakura was certain. There was no question that something was about to happen, but whether it would be in a few minutes or a few seconds she couldn't have guessed. The two shinobi stood dead silent, their stillness almost melting into the air around them.

A rustle out of place to the rest, and two kunai, one thrown from each ninja, flew across the tiny field and into the shrubbery beyond. A loud shriek followed and a small rabbit raced from the undergrowth before disappearing down a hole.

"Ah," came Kakashi's voice, "that was a bit emba-"

An almighty flash of brilliant light lit up the landscape before complete darkness swept across Sakura's vision. Everything was black.

"Kakashi!" She cried.

"Use your ears," was his only reply, confirming for her that he couldn't see anything either.

Sakura forced her rising panic back down and strained her ears. For a few seconds, she could hear nothing but the sound of her own blood rushing through her body, but footsteps through the grass quickly broke through and she spun towards the sound.

"It's the dogs," Kakashi spoke quietly and Sakura realized the steps did have a strange sound to them and the more she concentrated, the easier it became to distinguish the four footfalls of each animal.

"Just concentrate," came the older jonin's soothing voice. "Relax and focus. The sharingan is still working, I'm not completely blind. I'll guide you as much as I can but if we're under attack you need to focus."

"Hai," was her only reply. Sakura tried to tune into her surroundings. She felt as though every cell in her body was buzzing with adrenalin. She tried to slow her breathing down – it was so loud! She painstakingly drew a kunai from the pouch on her thigh.

"Sakura, left!" She threw up her arm and felt rather than heard the impact of an enemy weapon hit her kunai.

Growling and barking broke out in the ninken around her and she heard the rushing of paws as they ran to assail their attacker.

"To the east, Pakkun." Sakura could feel the anger bubbling through her body. She felt helpless. It was a feeling she particularly loathed.

"Shit!"

"Kakashi?" She whirled around in panic. What was going on?!

"3 o'clock!" Was his urgent reply. Sakura pictured the clock in her mind and sliced. She felt the blade slice through skin and warm blood spattered her arm. A small groan escaped her assailant.

"Where?!" She demanded.

"Gone."

She felt a hand clasp over her wrist and in alarm, Sakura swung the kunai in the general direction of where she hoped a head was. Instead, another powerful hand clamped down and held her in place. A breath of air stroked her cheek and a whisper of "it's me," made her instantly relax. Actually, if she was completely honest, her mind may have relaxed but an interesting bout of goosebumps flourished across her skin. Choosing to ignore that particular development, Sakura waited for instructions.

"Let's get out of here, shall we?" Her sensei sounded almost jovial.

He began running, still holding on to help guide her through the swirling blackness. She had only been running a couple of seconds (though it sure did feel like an eternity) before light flooded her vision so acutely she couldn't help let out a cry.

"Keep it down," muttered Kakashi as he pulled her into some shrubs.

"Focus your vision, we need to get out of here and it will be a hell of a lot easier if you can see."

"Easy for you to say, Sharingan Kakashi," she snapped.

Blinking, eyes streaming, Sakura could slowly start making out the shapes of the trees. She had to wipe her eyes several times and bite back the urge to complain about the stinging sensation. Somehow she didn't think Kakashi would care much to hear about it. After blinking more times in a minute than she felt she had ever done in her life, Sakura's vision was mostly restored.

Kakashi was crouched next to her staring avidly out of the dense green shrub. She noticed a pretty nasty gouge on his arm but didn't bother offering to heal it. She knew he would just shrug it off until they were safe.

"Surroundings, Sakura" he barked pointedly, and she gave herself a little mental shake before peering around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Whatever had impaired her vision was nowhere to be seen. Neither were any of the enemy ninja. Or Kakashi's dogs for that matter.

"Ninken?" she asked.

"Hopefully being enough of a distraction that we can escape. Let's go"

Without waiting for a reply, Kakashi spun around and crept like a cat from the bushes and up a tree. Sakura slunk after him. They moved slowly at first, not wanting to draw any attention to themselves, before breaking into a lightening sprint back in the direction of the village. Neither of them stopped until they were on a rooftop in the middle of the town. They fell down back-to-back, breathing heavy.

As soon as she got her breath back, Sakura moaned loudly. "What the hell just happened?"

"No idea," was the curt reply. Remembering his injury, Sakura sat on her knees and began flooding Kakashi's arm with healing chakra.

"Don't wor-"

"Shhh," she snapped.

He sighed audibly but was quiet while she patched him up. She had just finished when a pattering of feet made her spin around, chakra flooding her fists ready to fight.

"Uh, hi?" The little pugged pulled up short, eyeing Sakura suspiciously.

"Sorry," she sighed, running her hands through her hair in a pointless attempt to untangle it. "Bit on edge," she offered as way of an apology.

"I get that," Pakkun nodded.

"Any idea who they were?" Kakashi asked.

"Unfortunately they hit a river early into the chase and we lost them." Pakkun began scratching at his ear.

"They did leave behind something that the pink one will find interesting though."

Choosing to ignore his remark, Sakura asked, "like what?"

A small scroll appeared at his feet. When he touched his paw to it, it disappeared, leaving behind a four-pronged kunai.

"What the hell?" Sakura was dumbstruck. How on Earth would lowly thieves have got their hands on specialized weapons like these? Either they were connected to these kunai in some way or the producer had begun selling them quite cheaply to whoever would buy. Even though it would make this mission much more dangerous than originally anticipated, she sincerely hoped it wasn't the latter. If they had gone into mass production, all crooks and S-class criminals would have their hands on them before long, making the simplest D-rank missions potentially fatal.

"Well," Kakashi sighed whilst pulling himself to his feet. "Guess we better go and report our big failure."

He bean trudging slowly across the rooftop.

"Ugh, thanks for all your help today, Pakkun. Please pass my thanks on to the rest of the pack too." She swooped up the kunai and placed it in her pack. "I'll bake some special doggy treats for you all someday soon," Sakura smiled, before following after Kakashi.

"We'll hold you to that," Pakkun grunted before disappearing.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
"My, that definitely is unfortunate news."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at Satoru. The tone was right, the expression also, but still there was something there that the old jonin couldn't quite put his finger on. He had a definite feeling this man knew more than he was letting on. The suspicion was so acute that he had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from doing or saying anything to give away the fact that he was on to the scumbag.

"Is there any chance of finding them now?" Yuuki asked softly.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his hair and smiled sympathetically.

"We could head back to the area and check it out tomorrow, but I think it's highly unlikely the assailants would still be present."

"Oh…" Her face fell and she scuffed her shoe into the dirt in the most endearing way.

When they had made it back to Yoshida's house, they had been greeted with a table full of food in the garden. No doubt the girl had been so convinced he'd succeed that she had organized a small feast in celebration. He felt pretty bad for letting her down.

"Poor Satoru-san; you must be so displeased with me for letting your precious item be stolen." Her big eyes were full of tears.

"Now, now," his tone was sickening to Kakashi's ears. "These things happen. Let's enjoy some of this delicious food that has been prepared and put it behind us for now." He took her hand and Kakashi glared as her face lit up. Seriously, it shouldn't have bothered him. Still, he had become somewhat accustomed to random women finding him intriguing and he quite liked it. Not that he would ever admit it, but he was finding it rather infuriating to find himself second best in this situation.

He glanced over at Sakura, who was at that very moment rolling her eyes. Apparently he was being more obvious than he had thought. He winked at her. It took him a moment to realise she could only see one of his eyes, so to her it probably looked as though he had just blinked. He sighed to himself. Some days he had it, some he didn't.

"Will you stay tonight?" Yuuki looked at him.

"Uhh…"

"Why would they need to?" Satoru asked. Kakashi noticed a slight edge to the man's voice. Apparently he didn't want Kakashi here. Well, in that case…

"Of course." He gave the woman his best eye crinkling smile. "We'll make sure they don't come back and then have another look in the morning to make sure we haven't missed anything."

She smiled at him and beckoned him to the table. He could settle for equal first, perhaps.

"I'll organize the rooms close to my daughter to be set up for you," Yoshida nodded towards Kakashi. "And if it's ok with you Sakura, would you mind sharing my daughter's room tonight? Just in case."

Kakashi shot a sideways look at the kunoichi, waiting for some kind of objection.

"Of course," she smiled sweetly. "I'll keep one eye open all night." Yoshida gave her a small, appreciative smile before reaching for his cup. Kakashi caught a glimpse of Satoru's face and couldn't help thinking that his mirrored what he saw. Quite simply, if Sakura was in that room, he wasn't.

Kakashi gave himself a mental shake. If he was supposed to be wooing the pink haired terror, seducing Yuuki probably wouldn't earn him any points. His eyes glanced over the hair, pale skin, stunning figure and then to his once upon a time student. How this had happened, he would never know.

After the meal, Kakashi excused himself with the excuse of recon. He assured Yoshida-san that he would check all points of entry into the house and do his best to make them secure. In reality, he just wanted to get away from the table. The way that bastard Satoru fawned over Yuuki made him equal parts furious and sick. Especially in front of her father! The guy had no respect and he couldn't put his finger on why Daichi would put up with that crap. He had a feeling money had to be involved somewhere and thought to snoop around. Technically it wasn't his mission, but if he found something out whilst securing the building, well, that could hardly be his fault.

Unfortunately, an hour into his quest, Kakashi was getting ready to give up. He could find absolutely nothing on the son-of-a-bitch. He heard the unmistakable sound of fists hitting wood and assumed Sakura was training in the garden, so he wandered slowly in that direction. A little sparring before bedtime might be just what he needed to help him relax.

He pulled the screen doors back ad was surprised at how bright the night was. The moon was full and shone through the trees, glistening off the surface of the pond. A few lanterns were scattered about, adding a softness to the garden. It was rather beautiful, Kakashi had to admit.

His eyes roamed the garden until they fell upon Sakura. She had wrapped her hands and was steadily punching a wooden post. He studied her for a moment. Her posture was all wrong. She was very tense, and her eyes were unfocused. He had the distinct feeling she may have been picturing his face. He didn't think he had been that annoying today. Then again, it was probably just his ego talking. She could just as easily have been imagining Naruto.

"She's quite stunning in her own way, your little partner."

Kakashi felt his hand twitch but managed to control himself. Stabbing Satoru in the throat probably wasn't the best idea. At least, not right at that moment.

"Mmm." He wasn't much up for a conversation.

"Seriously, all that toned muscle. She must be quite fun in the sack."

Kakashi suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Apparently he was picking up some of Sakura's habits.

"Wouldn't know," he replied.

"Seriously?" Kakashi flicked a glance over at Satoru and found genuine surprise there. "How could you work with her and not try anything?"

Kakashi stretched his arms above his head, rocking onto his toes to lengthen his spine. He felt a few pops and thought idly about getting a massage when he was back in the village.

"Because I have integrity." He smiled, before sauntering over to the kunoichi as she threw one last punch, knocking the post out of the ground. He didn't bother looking back at Satoru. He could feel the hateful stare boring through his back. He was oddly happy about it. He decided not to dwell too much on the irony of his parting statement. Someone with integrity wouldn't sleep with a student.

Kakashi threw his arm around Sakura's shoulders and pulled her in close. Yes, it was more for Satoru's chargrin than anything else, but he did enjoy the slightly confused look in those pretty green eyes.

"How is my favourite little kunoichi doing this fine evening?" He asked, all smiles.

Next thing he knew, he was smiling up at the stars.

"Really," he sighed, "I'm just wondering how you are."

He ignored the aching along his spine. Getting thrown on the ground is an everyday hazard when you know Sakura Haruno. Deciding to stay where he was, Kakashi put his hands behind his head and crossed his legs. The grass tickling the back of his hands was softer than he expected. The crickets were more pleasant than annoying tonight, too. He took a deep breath in, enjoying the earthy scent coming from the grass mixed with the jasmine that grew along the walls nearby. After a few moments, Sakura sat beside him. Her breathing was slightly accelerated, which was to be expected. His nose detected the faint trace of sweat, but it wasn't completely unpleasant mixed in with the garden.

"Why are we here?" She snapped.

"Because Saturo finds you rather appealing," Kakashi decided to use that new found gem of information to his advantage. He assumed at first Satoru was just saying it to push Kakashi's buttons, but he felt there had to be an element of truth to it. He has just been too surprised to hear Kakashi had not gone there.

Sakura said nothing for a moment. He could feel her processing that little tidbit and tried not to chuckle.

"How is that relevant?" She asked finally.

"Because he is up to something, and now you can help us find out."

Sakura threw herself backwards with a thump.

"I am not seducing that jerk. I wouldn't even know how."

"Call it practice then."

"Oh Kami-sama," she groaned, covering her face in her hands. He had no doubt she was blushing under there and he just loved to see it.

Kakashi rolled onto his side, supporting his head with one hand, he gently removed her hands from her face with the other. Her eyes were huge. She seemed uncertain, as if she had no idea in the world about anything, least of all why he suddenly had hold of her hands. Kakashi could see the entire moon reflected in her eyes. It was slightly overwhelming, almost like if he leant too close, he'd be drowning in them. He pulled his eye from hers and glanced down her face instead. There was definitely a pinkish tinge to those cheeks, but that could have easily been from the exertion of earlier. Her breathing hadn't slowed much though and he could feel the breath escaping those slightly parted lips and brushing along his neck, even through the material of his mask.

He chuckled and leaned back, dropping her hands.

"I think you'll be fine," he whispered.

Rolling away, he sprang to his feet and jumped onto the roof. "See you in the morning, Sakura-chan!" He called happily.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura was in trouble. A part of her had known it for days, maybe longer. Now, however, she could confirm the suspicions she had been ignoring for a while. What was the point denying it? It was only going to end terribly. When she got home, she would march straight up to her shishou and demand to be removed from any and all missions involving Kakashi Hatake. And when Tsunade asked her why, she would just look her dead in the eyes and say it was because… its because she – "DAMMIT!"

Sakura kicked over a pot plant in the hall way. She froze and looked around. It didn't appear to attract any attention. She quickened her pace and turned the corner before anyone could pin it on her. Slamming through the bathroom door, she turned the tap on and splashed water over her face and down her neck. She was still warm. Still painfully aware of how close he had been to her. Still trying desperately to shake the image of his face, the way his eye seemed to be drinking her in…

She had to have imagined it. There was no way these weird, twisted feelings were being reciprocated in any way, shape or form.

What the hell is going on?!

Whenever her and Ino had gotten particularly drunk and started discussing the potential of the male jonin, Kakashi had always been the joke! Ino had admitted to a vague curiosity to finding out what he was like under that mask, but that had been it. Jokes had been made regarding his preferred book women to actual women and everyone had laughed before moving on to the next man in their long line of potentials. Yet here Sakura was, and that small, insignificant curiosity was quickly growing to proportions that she didn't think she would be able to handle very soon.

She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment she had begun thinking about him a little more than was necessary for a former student to think of her ex-sensei, but at least now that she could admit to herself that it was happening, she could try and squash the thoughts very deep down inside herself.

She smirked slightly. Catching her eyes in the mirror, Sakura gasped, completely aghast with herself and her dirty little mind; something Kakashi was also to blame for! How had he done this to her? She had no idea she was this easy to manipulate.

Wait though, was he manipulating her? Sakura had to tread carefully here. She couldn't even begin to imagine how mortifyingly embarrassing it would be to find out that he had absolutely zero intentions behind his actions and was completely unaware of the affect he was having on her.

That would be about right, really. This was probably just who he was, how he interacted with adults he was friends with.

You don't really believe that, inner-Sakura snorted.

"Shut up," Sakura muttered to herself. She grabbed the nearby towel and wiped her face. She needed a shower but for some reason, couldn't trust herself to get in. Something about hot, streaming water and thoughts of Kakashi just didn't feel like a wise decision.

She threw the towel into the nearby laundry basket and banged the door shut behind her as she stomped out of the bathroom.

Satoru was walking up the hallway towards her, a grin spreading across his face.

Great

"Sakura-san," he said, bowing slightly, "is there anything I can do to help you settle in for the night?"

He stopped just short of her, which Sakura felt was too close for comfort. Stepping back, her heel hit the bathroom door.

"No," she replied, forcing a smile. "I'm fine, thank you."

He stepped closer, eyes full of something Sakura couldn't quite place. What was he doing?

"Are you sure?" His voice was barely a murmur and he placed his hand on Sakura's arm before she knew what was happening. Surely Kakashi was wrong, he wasn't interested in her, considering his apparent interest in Yuuki? Her eyes flickered from his towards movement in the hallway.

"Sensei..?" Sakura's eyes narrowed as he ambled over to them all smiles

"Ah, my apologies for interrupting," Kakashi beamed, clearly not sorry at all.

"Sensei?" Satoru looked between the two, perplexed for a moment or two, before letting out a low whistle.

He grinned up at the copy ninja. "Lucky bastard." He walked passed Kakashi, the latter of which barely registering his presence. Kakashi's eyes were on Sakura, but she watched Satoru saunter up the hallway. As he rounded the corner, he glanced back at her former sensei. Sakura felt something icy form in the pit of her stomach. There was nothing friendly about that look. Malice poured from his gleaming eyes. It was gone as soon as she'd seen it, but it made her fists close by her sides. His look had triggered some deep instinct within Sakura. The age-old fight or flight response was triggering an onslaught of adrenaline flooding her veins. The atmosphere was suddenly tense.

"Kakashi…" She whispered his name, as if any loud noise might trigger something monumental.

Kakashi looked as though he would rather dismiss any further thoughts of Satoru, but he caught the question behind her eyes and nodded knowingly.

"I'd rather not today. Keep one eye open tonight though."

Sakura nodded, satisfied that Kakashi had registered her concern. There was something about that man they were missing. Something that could get them killed if they didn't tread carefully.

"So,"Kakashi stated matter-of-factly, "any chance I could get you to write some more of your delightful story?"

Sakura blinked uncertainly, not quite over her body's reaction. "Uh, maybe?"

Kakashi gave her a thumbs up before vanishing in a puff of smoke. She rolled her eyes. Of course that was what he really wanted to talk to her about.

"Idiot," she muttered, before entering Yuuki's room with a small smile playing upon her lips.

"Who is an idiot?" The beautiful brunette asked, glancing up from a letter she had apparently been reading.

"Oh, just my captain." Sakura returned, walking over to her sleeping bag that was laid out and the foot of Yuuki's bed. Sakura slumped onto the floor with a small groan of happiness. She hadn't realised how tired she was until that moment and now all she wanted to do was bury her head under her pillow and sleep until tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunately, she would be barely be snoozing, just in case Satoru made a move.

"Kakashi? He seems very intelligent."

"Yeah," Sakura yawned, "he's pretty smart."

"Lovely gentleman too. He appears to be a very kind-hearted man," she sighed slightly.

Sakura was lying on her back, one arm thrown over her face to shield her closed eyes from any light.

She decided to pretend she hadn't noticed the prolonged sound of longing whispered from Yuuki.

"Mm-hm," was the kunoichi's only reply.

"Are you and he…?" Yuuki seemed too concerned. Almost like she was putting it on, acting, because she didn't really believe Kakashi would be interested in someone like Sakura.

Sakura decided to pause for a moment. Just long enough for Yuuki to think perhaps there was something, before letting out a small chuckle.

"No," she finally grinned. "Kakashi isn't quite what I'm looking for." Sakura tried very hard to derisive and disbelieving. She thought it had been enough to cause Yuuki to rethink her interest in Kakashi, however, Sakura was not quite able to fully convince herself.

Because how was she supposed to truthfully say he wasn't what she was looking for when she had absolutely no idea herself what she wanted anymore?

She let out a small, disappointed sound and rolled over onto her stomach. There was just enough light that she could make out her bag within reach. She shuffled forward slightly and brushed the strap with her fingertips, before giving a tiny lunge, just enough to hook her fingers around and pull it towards her. The contents spilt onto the floor.

"Ugh," Sakura grumbled, exasperated.

The draft was just in reach, but the pencil had rolled in the other direction. She thumbed through the pages for a few minutes, scanning the notes she had made herself, before throwing it back in the general direction of her bag.

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Yes?" Yuuki answered.

"Just wanted to wish you both a goodnight," came a cheery voice. Sakura sat up slightly and Yuuki seemed to lean towards the sound.

"Goodnight, Kakashi-san," the girl called in a voice that Sakura supposed was meant to sound sweet.

"Night!" Sakura shouted, biting back her frustration.

"I hope you don't have any more nightmares tonight, Sakura-chan," he called.

Sakura stared at the ceiling, mortified, as she so often was with his antics.

She woke with a start. The details of the dream were already fading, just on the edge of her mind. Each time she thought she remembered, it slipped away again. She ran a hand over her forehead and felt a light covering of sweat.

A soft rustling sound from behind made Sakura shoot up. She span on her heel, scooping up the kunai she had placed under her pillow earlier as she did. Sakura ended up in a crouch, kunai drawn level with her chest, facing a rather startled Yuuki who had one foot out of the window.

"Uh, sorry to wake you?" The Yoshida girl offered.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sakura snapped, irate. Loosening her posture, she sat cross-legged on the floor, twirling the kunai absentmindedly.

"Well, umm…." Yuuki looked thoroughly embarrassed. Like she had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She was staring everywhere except at Sakura, as if trying to pull an answer out of thin air. Finally, she sighed, obviously unable to come up with an excuse, she said simply, "going to see Satoru."

Sakura blinked stupidly. Why would – Oh.

"Do you think that's such a good idea?" The girl shrugged, her head to one side, trying desperately to appear contrite.

"Look," Sakura stated, "I can't let you leave this room."

"But I have to!" There was a strange, almost wild look in the girls eyes that Sakura was unsure of.

"Why? Can't you wait just one night?" The pink-hair kunoichi asked.

"No!"

Sakura just stared disbelievingly.

"You're a woman, Sakura-san, you must understand. I simply just can't wait!"

Sakura scratched her head and glanced at the draft that lay untouched since she had thrown it aside.

"Sure," she replied. Yuuki cocked her head and her eyes widened in realisation.

"Look," Sakura pressed on, "That's not the point. I'm supposed to be watching you. I can't protect you if you go gallivanting off around the woods."

"You cannot stop me, Sakura-san." Yuuki said determined.

Sakura just snorted in response. She would tie the brat to the bed if she had to.

"I have to go to him. He's waiting for me." The pleading in her voice intrigued Sakura in an almost disgusted way. How could this girl be so desperate to have sex with some guy who frankly, Sakura thought was part slimy and parts terrifying.

"He's so gentle and passionate," Yuuki continued as though she had read Sakura's thoughts. "Honestly, I can't begin to describe how amazing it is. I need to go."

Sakura looked into those brown eyes and felt her resolve weakening. She really seemed to care for him. Which Sakura honestly believed was completely foolish. She wouldn't be surprised if the girl knew nothing about the object of her desire apart from that he was semi-decent looking. Yet here she stood, apparently in love. One way or another, Sakura felt this would end in tears, but as she would rather fight than babysit a lovesick girl (who was starting to remind her forcibly of her younger, Sasuke obsessed self) she would take having to punch Satoru in the face any day.

"Fine," Sakura conceded, "but I'm coming too."

"What?" Yuuki stared at her like she was insane. "I don't need an audience!"

"Eww, Kami-sama, no!" Sakura stood up, pulling her shorts on underneath the t-shirt she slept in. "I'll patrol the area. Stay far enough away that I can't overhear the more, umm… intimate noises," -Sakura tried to hide the slight shudder- "but close enough that I can hear you scream for help if you need it."

Yuuki considered her proposal, before looking up at her uncertainly. "What if you hear screaming for other reasons?" She mumbled quickly.

Sakura closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Some things just really didn't need to be said out loud. "You'll just have to control yourself for one night," she snapped, stomping over to the window. Yuuki's cheeks were as red as Sakura's felt. This had to be up there on her list of most uncomfortable conversations ever. Right alongside explaining the menstrual cycle to Sai and Naruto.

Sakura stuck her head out of the window. The night air was fresh and a little chilly, but not too bad. She decided against walking the few feet to the other side of the room to grab something warm.

"I know how I'm getting down," Sakura said, "but what exactly was your plan?" She doubted this girl had any hidden chakra abilities. They were only a floor up but it was enough to break a bone on impact. Yuuki pointed to her left, and Sakura saw a small wooden ladder propped against the wall.

"That wasn't there this morning," Sakura replied.

"No," Yuuki swung her legs over the windowsill and prepared to shift her weight onto the ladder. "Satoru puts it their each night and takes it away again after I return."

Sakura watched her climb down before leaping to land cat-like beside her. She wasn't really sure what to make of that information. As they began moving slowly towards the village gate, Sakura glanced back at the house. There was no movement, no indication whatsoever that anyone had noticed their absence.

"This is how that box got stolen, isn't it?" Sakura asked.

Yuuki shot a guilty look in her direction.

"There was no one in your room when it happened." Sakura shook her head.

"Satoru-senpai thought it would be best if I said nothing of our time together, particularly infront of papa."

Senpai? Sakura cringed. What had she gotten herself into?

Yuuki lead them through the gate and out towards the forest. Sakura was on high alert, and was frankly amazed this girl had been strolling around out here during the night so confidently.

"Aren't you scared?" Sakura asked. Yuuki smiled in response but said nothing.

The further away from the village they walked, the more pressing the dark became. Sakura wasn't usually bothered by the night, but after yesterday's little foray into the woods, she was less than keen on the idea of not being able to see again. After they were deep enough in that the only sounds to be heard were insects and the occasional melancholy hoot of an owl, Yuuki stopped.

"With all respect, Sakura-san, I would appreciate it if you came no further. I will remember to shout if I need you."

Sakura nodded, staring around. "And I will do my best to hear nothing but that shout. How long will you be?"

Yuuki shrugged. "Usually around two hours." Sakura's eyes widened.

"Seriously?"

Yuuki giggled. "Thank you for looking out for me, Sakura-san. I shall see you later," and off she went, the darkness and trees swallowing her in seconds.

Sakura stood there, unsure of what to do now. Yes she had promised to stay clear of their activities, but what if something bad happened and she wasn't close enough to help? Worse yet, what if she got too close and saw something she really didn't want to see…

Sakura let out a frustrated sigh, and walked on. She made sure not to follow Yuuki directly. She didn't think the girl would be able to tell she was being followed, but she was more than unsettled about Satoru and whatever capabilities he may be hiding. Sakura was pretty certain now that his interest in the young Yoshida had nothing to do with the girl herself, and he may be willing to dispose of her if necessary. She was just so besotted with him that she probably wouldn't even try to resist. She needed someone to look out for her. Sakura was almost sorry they wouldn't be staying much longer.

Sakura's thoughts had caused her to lose track of where she was for a few minutes, but she eventually found her way again when an unmistakable moan reached her ears.

She froze. Peering around, she realised there was a tree close by with enough leaf cover to hide in for a while. She figured she was close enough to intervene if something was to go wrong. She sat with her back against the tree, trying desperately to ignore the sounds of pleasure floating through the air. She should have brought the draft with her. Sakura rolled her eyes. Plenty of material she could use going on right now.

She glanced in the direction the sounds were coming from. Right now, the leaves were sufficiently blocking out any visuals. Maybe she would learn something useful for the book if she took a peak?

Sakura squashed the thought as soon as it rose. That's how it started! She was turning into Jiraiya! She was NOT a dirty pervert.

A more masculine groan reached her ears and Sakura licked her dry lips. Why did she even care about that stupid book anyway? She wasn't a writer, she was a shinobi, a medic; she had no business writing porn. Or reading porn. Or watching it! She shook herself, unaware for a moment that she had leant forward and was reaching for the leaves to brush them aside. She stared at her hand, horrified, before sitting back against the trunk of the tree.

This was ridiculous. She was a grown woman for Kami-sama's sake, she shouldn't have to behave like such a child about sex. Most people having it sure didn't think it was embarrassing. Maybe she should find out why..?

Deciding to not be such a coward, and that this had nothing to do with her possibly turning into a pervert, Sakura rocked onto the balls of her feet and crouched with her face almost touching the leaf barrier. All she had to do was poke a few aside and have a quick look. Just a few seconds, to see what all the fuss was about.

She reached a shaking hand out and painstakingly pushed the leaves aside.

The first thing she noticed was Satoru. Now, Sakura didn't like him in the least, but she had to admit he had a very nice, toned body. His muscles weren't as defined as some of the male shinobi she knew, but they were definitely there, flexing away as he pumped into the girl sitting on his lap.

The position looked intense, at least from the expression on Yuuki's face. She was straddling him, her back pressed into his chest. His hands were currently squeezing her breasts, which she was apparently enjoying a lot.

"Yes…" She breathed, and Sakura's face flushed. That was about all she could take for the night. Letting the leaves fall slowly back into place, Sakura sat back with a small sigh of indignation, connecting with something soft.

Before she could react, a hand clamped tightly over her mouth, cutting off the shout that was bubbling forth. Another hand went to her wrist, stopping her from reaching for the kunai she had stupidly put down. She couldn't move! The enemy had her pressed into him so forcefully she could barely squirm. His legs had wrapped around hers, preventing her from kicking out.

It was only when she began gathering chakra that a voice whispered in her ear.

"It's me."

She relaxed instantly and Kakashi let her go.

"Kami-You could have said something sooner!" She whispered furiously. "What the hell are you doing?!"

He put a finger to his masked lips before pointing in the direction of a much louder groan than she had heard so far.

"Following Satoru?" Kakashi nodded in response, before settling against the tree. Sakura sat on the branch, letting her legs dangle of the side. She didn't feel the need to say anything else. Mostly because she wasn't sure what would come out of her mouth. He had very clearly just caught her perving on a couple having sex out in the woods. She was clearly not initialising any form of conversation with him.

"How was it looking?" Kakashi whispered. Sakura cringed. She refused to answer, or even look at him. She didn't want to know what colour her face was at that moment.

"I'm not being a pervert," he continued, "I just mean, does it look genuine?"

Sakura picked at her overly large shirt. "I don't know," she said truthfully. How would she? She had no idea.

Kakashi shuffled forward and leaned passed her to move the leaves aside and take a peek. Sakura sat perfectly still, staring straight ahead into the darkness.

"Hm," was Kakashi's only response to what he saw. He didn't drop the leaves though. "Well," his voice seemed to come from all around her, "I dunno about love, but I'd say our little Satoru is definitely in lust." Sakura held out as long as she could, but her curiosity got the better of her and she glanced in the direction of the two lovers. Yuuki was now on all fours while Satoru ground into her from behind.

Sakura felt the heat rise within her as goosebumps broke out over her skin. There was something so primal about the image now burned into her mind that she couldn't calm her pulse. She looked away and swallowed. Her throat was so dry. She wished she'd had the foresight to bring some supplies.

Kakashi finally let the leaves drop down. Much to Sakura's dismay, he did not shuffle off to the trunk again, but remained on the branch, legs swung either side of her.

"Are you alright?" His whisper held the evidence of mirth and Sakura continued to glare at the tree opposite her. How dare he make fun of her? It's not completely her fault she was still a virgin and found all this awkward.

And hot, Inner-Sakura reminded her

What was she going to do with herself? Maybe she should just leave. Retreat to a safe distance. Surely Yuuki wasn't in any kind of trouble and even if she was, Kakashi could watch on and jump to the rescue if necessary, which she was sure he would be all too happy to do. In fact, Sakura was surprised he had stopped watching. Hell, maybe he hadn't. She wouldn't be surprised if his hatai-ate was pulled up and he tomoe in his sharingan were spinning lazy circles as he watched. Feeling slightly grossed out at the thought, she turned her head to snap at him, only to find his face barely an inch away, his one deep grey eye meeting hers.

Sakura's breath hitched.

"I asked if you were ok," he repeated, his breath brushing across her lips.

"Y-yes," she stuttered. Her mind was racing and standing still at the same time. The night seemed to freeze around her and she honestly couldn't find the will power to pull away from him. She could feel him. His chakra was all too familiar, his scent so strong, she could have sworn the air around them was buzzing with its electricity. Almost like being wrapped up in a chidori, but a warm, caressing one, rather than a lightning strike.

"Kakashi…" she whispered uncertainly.

She wasn't sure if she imagined it, but she saw something in his eye as she said his name. A look she wouldn't be able to shake. It was strange how it reminded her of Satoru and the look he had given Kakashi earlier that evening. Kakashi seemed just as dangerous in that moment. Dangerous in a way Sakura found interesting as well as frightening.

All at once the moment broke. Kakashi sat back and pulled his jumper off. Sakura's mouth opened, though whether she was going to say something in protest or encouragement, she thankfully didn't find out, as her old sensei proceeded to throw said jumper over her head.

"You have goosebumps, Sakura-chan," he said cheerily. "Put that on and keep warm. I'll go and make sure the perimeter is clear."

And with that he was gone. Sakura sat alone as the night went on around her. Crickets chirped, wind rustled the leaves and a small breath escaped from Sakura that she hadn't realised she had been holding. It was a mistake though, because when she breathed in all she could smell was him.

His earthy, pine and slightly sweaty scent rushed through her body and caused something deep within her to react. Something she had barely scrapped the surface of when making out with other boys seemed to really enjoy the way Kakashi smelled.

Sakura ripped the jumper off her and threw it to the ground in horror. What the hell was going on? Since when did someone's smell turn her on? The noise of flesh hitting flesh and increasingly arousing groans reached her ears again she realised this was entirely the fault of the situation she had found herself in and nothing more.

Sakura dropped quietly from the tree and put the jumper on. She was cold. She proceeded to walk to the place she had left Yuuki and wait for her return. She would think of nothing but medical jutsu for the next half an hour.

When Yuuki returned, hair ruffled, leaves and twigs hanging of her robes, a shy smile on her face, Sakura turned sharply and proceeded to lead the way back to the house. She said nothing, climbing into her sleeping bag as soon as they were back in the bedroom.

Yuuki had just settled into her bed when she asked, "were you wearing that jumper when we left?"

Sakura grunted in response and pretended to fall asleep. After a few minutes, Yuuki's breathing became heavy. Sakura rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She had no idea where to go from here.  
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Kakashi watched the two women walk back. He blamed the brunette. She was so curvy and bouncy, how could one glimpse of that in action not turn a man on? His eyes, however, were watching the pink head more than the brown one. She almost seemed furious at Yuuki, though he wasn't sure why. He had no doubt that she had found the display just as much of a turn on as he did.

Too much of a turn on, perhaps. He rubbed the back of his head before leaping towards the inevitable cold shower he would be having shortly.


	10. Chapter 10 - And so we dance

A/N – Big chapter guys – bear with me!

Chapter 10 – And so we dance

Hinata ambled slowly through the village. She didn't usually take her time as she often had somewhere to be and she hated keeping people waiting. Today, however, was different. Hyuuga Hinata had taken a day off. She had actually requested one, something her team, Kurenai-sensei and the Hokage had all been surprised about. They almost seemed suspicious, which Hinata hadn't thought was warranted. She supposed, in their defence, the last time she had asked for a day off was, well… Hinata stopped walking and scratched her head. Never. She had never taken a day off. No wonder everyone was confused. Heck, she was confused. Earlier that morning her alarm went off as usual, but instead of jumping up and starting to get ready, she had sighed heavily and stared up at the ceiling for ten minutes. Today she didn't feel like being a ninja. Today, she just wanted to be a girl. Trouble was, Hinata had no idea what 'just girls' did. She glanced around, trying to find a civilian girl her age to see what they were doing. Unfortunately, the street she was on seemed mostly dominated by mothers and their young children or the elderly.

Hinata let out a small sigh and continued moving. Sometimes she wished she could be more like Ino, who had no problem wandering around the village, ducking into every shop she could find to try on ridiculously priced clothes; or even sitting idly in a tea shop watching the world go by like Sakura often did. She decided sitting at the tea shop couldn't hurt, so she meandered in that direction, glancing at a few market stalls as she moseyed over.

Hinata blew gently on the scolding tea, wishing it would cool down faster so she didn't look like a complete idiot sitting there on her own. Unfortunately, Naruto chose that moment to walk around the corner. Hinata panicked. He would think she was such a loser sitting there on her own. She wasn't Sakura! She couldn't laze around looking like she owned the place. She took a hurried sip of tea and nearly spat it out over the table. Why was it still scorching hot?! Please don't notice me, she thought desperately. Please don't notice me. I'm not here, I'm not-

"Hey, Hinata-chan!"

Crap.

"N-Naruto-kun," she murmured, eyes focused on her tea.

"I saw Kiba and Shino on a mission earlier." He plonked himself in the chair opposite her and Hinata clenched the cup in her hands tightly. She wondered if that cherry wine she had the other night would have helped her loosen up around him. Her face turned red as she remembered. Fortunately, the story of her table dancing antics had not reached her father's ears, but Naruto had seen it.

"They said you had taken a day off." Naruto continued, oblivious to the mortified woman in front of him. "I thought that was a bit strange as you've never done that before, so I figured I'd find you and make sure you weren't sick or something."

Hinata looked into his eyes. Was he concerned?

"I went by the Hyuuga compound first when I got back, but they said you left early, so you couldn't be too sick. Then I-"

"When you got back?" Hinata asked, before gasping at how rude her interruption had been. Naruto didn't seem to have minded though. He smiled at her and her stomach fell through her feet.

"I was out training with Yamato-taichou," he shrugged. "Kiba and Shino passed by us. I told Yamato-taichou I'd be back in a bit." He said it so casually, like it was nothing, yet something was happening inside her. A thought she couldn't squash even though she knew it was foolish and probably not true, but the way he said it… Surely if Kiba and Shino had said nothing he would have just kept on training, but Naruto had decided to come back to the village to check on her. Training is so important to him; why would he stop it just to come and find her? Hinata smiled shyly into her tea, before taking another scolding sip. Her eyes went wide.

"Oi, are you ok?" Naruto asked.

Hinanta nodded her head a little too quickly and coughed. Why was she so stupid around him? She had gotten so excited after the War. He had held her hand, she had fought beside him and yet here she was cowering behind a cup of tea that was trying to undermine her at every turn.

Naruto smiled at her again. She really wished he wouldn't; her body couldn't take it.

"So how come you're here? This is Sakura-chan's favourite teahouse, huh?" He glanced around, apparently taking it in for the first time even though he would have been there countless times before. Maybe he was looking for his pink-haired friend. Perhaps he would prefer her company over Hinata's? She spoke sullenly to the table. "Sakura-san is on a mission right now."

"Fair enough," Naruto beamed. "Hey, since you're ok and you have some free time, want to come with me?" Naruto had stood up, but he had his hands flat on the table and was leaning forward. He was so close!

"H-Hai," Hinata stammered. She wondered where he would want to take her, of all people.

"Great, let's go!"

Hinata stood up, half apprehensive and half excited.

"Excuse me, Miss."

Turning around, Hinata saw the server approaching the table.

"Yes?" She asked, confused. She had already paid for her cup of molten lava.

"I don't mean to pry, but did you mention Sakura-san before? Do you know her?"

"Yes," Hinata replied.

The young man smiled, taking a piece of folded paper from his pocket. "She often works on hospital stuff while she's here and she dropped this last time. I haven't looked but I thought it might be something important."

"Oh." Hinata flicked it open, wondering if she should take it to the Hokage.

"Thank you, I'll-" Hinata gasped.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, trying to peer over her shoulder. The server was looking at her concerned.

"Nothing!" Hinata spoke quickly, "Just something for one of her research projects. Thank you again," she bowed to the man, stuffing the paper in her pocket. "Naruto," she continued, "where are we going?" She began walking hurriedly, hoping Naruto would be distracted.

"Oh right," he grinned. "Well since I'm here, let's do some training!"

Hinata nearly tripped over her own feet. Of course. What else?

"Sure, Naruto-kun," she smiled. Anything to make sure he never read what was on that piece of paper. Never found out that apparently, Sakura-san had been entertaining inappropriate thoughts about her sensei. Hinata could feel her cheeks burning scarlet and for once, the man in her company was not the cause. Not that he ever realised he was the reason. Naruto probably thought she was such a weirdo.  
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The rest of Sakura's night was blissfully uneventful. On waking the next morning, she figured Yuuki would be fine if she ducked into the shower. She grabbed a towel, her clothes and the jumper Kakashi borrowed several hours ago before tiptoeing down the hallway to the bathroom. The house was really quiet and Sakura had a feeling it was earlier than she realised.

As the hot watered pounded her head and shoulders, she sighed, feeling her muscles relax. What the hell was she going to do about last night? Technically, what Yuuki got up to with Satoru was none of her business. She shouldn't get involved with civilian matters that have nothing to do with her. What about Kakashi?

"What about him?" She clenched her teeth together and glared at the clouded glass. She wasn't going to mention it. If he wanted to bring it up she would just ignore him. It had nothing to do with anything and she refused to acknowledge whatever the hell it was that happened in that goddam tree.

Shutting the water off, she climbed out of the shower, dripping all over the floor. There was a gentle knock at the door and she squeaked in surprise, grabbing the towel and making sure it was securely wrapped around her before opening it a crack and peering through.

Of course.

"What?" She demanded.

"Just wondering if you were done," came the aloof reply.

She slammed the door shut and began to dry herself off. Sakura deliberately took her time. He could bloody well wait.

After she combed her hair and pulled her clothes on, she exited the bathroom with her nose in the air. She didn't say a word as she strode down the hall and in the general direction of the kitchen. In all honesty, she had expected some sort of glib comment but to his credit, he didn't say a word.

As the morning stretched on, the household staff began meandering in and out, completing whatever chores they had. Sakura had half expected an awkward breakfast with Kakashi but her sensei hadn't shown up. She was wondering whether to go and find him just to find out what the hell they were going to do today when Satoru sauntered in. He grinned when he saw her and she fought the urge to shudder under his gaze.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan," he beamed at her, sliding a chair up closer than she would have preferred. She just nodded in response. Something about this man just repulsed her.

"So," he began jovially, picking up a piece of the mandarin she had just finished peeling. She looked at him disbelievingly. Someone had an abundance of confidence this morning. She had a feeling she knew why.

"Yuuki-chan mentioned that you accompanied her on her little jaunt into the woods last night."

Sakura's schooled expression didn't change. She just continued to glare at him. How dare the cheeky bastard help himself to her food?

"See anything you like?"

Her eyebrow twitched. Was he serious? Taking in a deep breath, Sakura employed her counting-to-ten technique then shrugged nonchalantly. Obviously she would have rather laughed cruelly in his face, but Kakashi had hinted he was interested in her and if that was the case, maybe it would prove an advantage in the future.

"Well, if you ever get bored with that grouch of a sensei, you know where to find me."

"In Yuuki's room," she smiled sweetly.

He actually laughed. "No need for jealousy," he grinned. Sakura had to use all her willpower to stop her eyes from rolling back into her head from sheer frustration. It was harder than she expected.

"There is plenty of me to go around."

He reached for another piece of the orange fruit but it was snatched up faster than Sakura's eyes could follow.

"That's good to know," came a cheery reply. A look flashed across Satoru's face before he switched to a smile.

"Any progress?" He asked the jounin.

"No," came Kakashi's curt reply.

"Progress?" Sakura interrupted.

"Your sensei gallantly volunteered to have another look around this morning. A shame nothing was discovered."  
"Why didn't you say anything? I can't believe you went out there alone!" Sakura was furious at being left behind. What an idiot! They were ambushed only yesterday for Kami-sama's sake.

"I did try," he countered flatly. "You were in an awful hurry this morning."

She scowled at him. What a jerk.

"Anyway, Sakura-chan," he continued jauntily, "who do you think you're talking to?"

"You may be one of the best but you still shouldn't have gone without back up," she retorted. She snatched up a mandarin slice and popped it into her mouth, chewing furiously. A line of juice trickled over her bottom lip. Before she could reach for a napkin, however, Satoru ran his thumb along her lips before sticking it into his mouth. He made a deliberate show of sucking the juice off, his dark eyes never leaving Sakura's jade ones. She just sat there stunned at his audacity.

Kakashi cleared his throat purposefully. "Hey, Sakura-chan?"

"Yeah?" She asked, still staring at the man in front of her in outrage.

"At the risk of sounding unchivalrous, can I get my sweater back? It was a bit chilly this morning without it."

Sakura turned to face him, hands clutching at the fabric. If she was honest with herself, she had put it on after her shower without even considering giving it back. Now, staring into his charcoal eye, she wished she hadn't. His expression was completely unreadable. She averted her eyes and hastily pulled it over her head before tossing it to him. Deciding she had had enough of her current company, Sakura got to her feet and marched out of the kitchen.

As she walked towards the garden she wrapped her arms around herself and stared glumly at her feet as she moved. She couldn't put her finger on why but she was suddenly feeling incredibly lonely.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kakashi pulled the jumper over his head and took a deep breath in, smiling to himself as the scent washed through him. He could still smell himself, but the scent of her skin mingled with the strawberries of her soap was rather pleasant. Their two smells entwined themselves inside him and he suddenly remembered to pull himself back into the kitchen before his mind raced away from him. He made certain to look Satoru in the eyes as he slipped his arms into the sweater.

"Enjoying yourself?" The man asked, all pretence gone.

"Immensely," Kakashi grinned.

"When are you leaving?" Satoru snapped.

Kakashi regarded him distrustfully.

"We haven't found your missing item yet," he replied.

"I don't think you're going to."

Kakashi just stared at him. "Wasn't this extremely important or something?"

Satoru stood up with a disgruntled sigh. "Look, I'm done with you poking your nose into my business."

"Sorry?" Kakashi feigned confusion.

Satoru crossed his arms and glowered at the Copy Ninja.

"I'm not an idiot. I may not be an elite shinobi such as yourself, but I'm clever enough to figure out how sweet little Sakura-chan ended up with your sweatshirt. Particularly as I know for a fact that she was out with Yuuki last night."

Kakashi just continued to give him his best blank I-know-nothing stare.

"You were hired to find the box, not spy on me. You haven't been able to locate it. I'll organise for Yoshida to send payment to your village and you can leave immediately."

"Fine," Kakashi shrugged. He turned and strolled slowly from the kitchen. As soon as he was out of sight, he picked up the pace and found Sakura hugging her knees by the pond in the garden.

"Satoru's onto us," he said without preamble.

Sakura's expression went from one of complete gloom to stone set seriousness in the blink of an eye.

"What?" She asked, standing up.

"Look," he glanced around to make sure they were out of earshot. "As much as I hate to admit it, he has a point. I've been snooping around and I've been busted."

Sakura interrupted him with a loud tutting sound, putting her hands on her hips and obviously gearing up to admonish him.

"Save it," he interjected, holding his hands up. "He's right. Whatever he's doing here has nothing to do with us. We've failed the mission. It's over and we're leaving." He finished with a shrug.

Sakura regarded him for a moment. "But Yuuki…" She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. For a moment, the image of Satoru's fingers brushing her lips popped into his head and he had to quash the rage that thundered through him momentarily.

"I'm having a quick chat with Yoshida-san before we depart. I'll meet you out front in ten minutes."

"Wait, what am I doing for ten minutes?"

Kakashi looked at her pointedly before she realised. "Oh right… warn Yuuki."

Without another word, Kakashi set off to inform their host of the comings and goings of his other guest. Sure, he shouldn't get involved, but if the old man happened to accidently stumble upon his darling daughter sneaking around in the middle of the night, well – Kakashi wouldn't be there anymore so what would it matter?  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura found Yuuki in her bedroom brushing her long hair. Biting back a surge of jealousy as the sun shone on the silken locks, Sakura focused instead on collecting her things.

"Are you leaving?" Yuuki asked, placing the brush down and turning to watch her.

"Yes," Sakura replied.

"But Satoru-san's – "

"He's the one who asked us to go."

Yuuki stared at her. "But, why?"

"Honestly?" Sakura picked up the Icha Icha draft and threw it into her bag. "You couldn't keep your mouth shut so that jerk of a man you are so disgustingly besotted with is cancelling the mission."

The silence that followed her words seemed to fill the room until it was roaring in her ears.

"He's not a jerk," Came Yuuki's eventual reply. Her words seemed so small.

"Really?" Sakura snorted as she swung her pack over her shoulder. "I must be mistaken then. Apparently nice guys fuck a girl in the woods one night, then the next morning, offer the same thing to another girl."  
Sakura's harsh language seemed to have startled Yuuki but not as much as finding out Satoru had offered Sakura sex. "He wouldn't!"

Sakura shook her head. This girl was nothing more than a petulant child.

"You're pathetic and you need to grow up." Sakura stomped towards the door.

"I'm pathetic?" Yuuki shouted after her. "At least I'm doing something about my feelings!"

"What?" Sakura forgot for a moment she was supposed to be turning this girl against her lover for her own good.

"Oh don't act dumb," Yuuki said scornfully. "I see the way you look at him."

"Look at who?" If she was talking about Satoru then this girl clearly couldn't read facial expressions very well. She was sure she had done nothing but look at Satoru with contempt the entire time.

"Kakashi."

"What?"

Yuuki was glaring at her. "Are you that stupid?" She asked flatly.

Sakura continued to look at her perplexed.

"You clearly have feelings for him. It's written all over your face whenever he walks into a room."

"Oh Kami-sama," Sakura sighed, rubbing her temples. "Look, I'll admit. On occasion, I find myself mildly curious but he's like, fourteen years older than me and frankly, I'm not some mindless animal that bows to its lustful instincts."

"Implying I am."

"No," Sakura lowered her hands and fixed the girl with a look that was equal parts scathing and pitiful. "You're in love with a man that doesn't love you back and believe me, there is nothing worse than the moment you realise it."

Yuuki continued to glare at her, but Sakura could see that her eyes had gone glassy. She already knew.

Sakura shook her head and left Yuuki to cry.

Kakashi was actually waiting for her by the front gate. It was probably the first time he had ever waited on her. The midday sun was shining through his hair, creating a silvery hue around his head.

"How did it go?" She asked.

"Yoshida-san was rather determined to not believe me."

"Funny, that." Sakura shifted her pack so it rested more comfortably on her shoulders before wiping away a few beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "Damn its hot today," she grumbled.

"Yep," Kakashi agreed.

They stood facing each other for a moment before Kakashi sighed. "We've no business here anymore." Sakura nodded and glanced back at Yuuki's bedroom window. The girl would just have to figure her own life out.

"It feels wrong somehow," she sighed.

"I know." Kakashi rubbed his chin absentmindedly. He turned without another word and began walking down the street. The dust billowed with each footfall and glittered as it danced through the sun's rays.

They stopped to pick up some food before leaving Tamaji behind to sweat it out under the trees. The air felt thick beneath the canopy and the heat was stifling even in the shade. Their pace was slow and Sakura knew Kakashi was only ambling along because he could tell she was struggling.

"How can you not be dying right now?" She grunted.

"Hmm?"

"Seriously, you're wearing like, three layers. Take the damn jacket off or something. I feel hot just looking at you."

"God, where do I begin?" Kakashi chuckled as he sat himself down on a nearby fallen log.

"What?" She snapped.

"I don't know what to address first; the fact you were looking at me, the fact I'm making you hot or the fact you want me to take my clothes off."

He was laughing at her again.

"Just stop it," she sighed, fumbling around for her bottle of water.

"Stop what?" He asked, handing her his bottle when she gave up trying to find her own. She gulped it down like she hadn't drank in days and it dribbled down her chin and into her lap. She didn't even care if she looked like a slob at that moment, she was just too damn hot. She wiped her chin on the back of her hand and passed his water bottle back to him.

"Twisting my words. The lewd comments. It's irritating." She plonked herself down next to him.

He considered her for a moment before speaking. "Really? I thought you enjoyed it."

"Why would you think that?" She was a little disturbed by his words.

"Let me see," Kakashi began matter-of-factly. "Let's not mention your own occasional slip of the tongue, or that dream of yours. Nor the fact that you're editing and continuing a story where the protagonists are basically us. I will, however, mention your – ah, how did you put it?" He made a show of scratching his head. "Oh, that's it – your 'mild curiosity.'"

Sakura stared at him, horrified.

"You were listening?" She whispered.

He shrugged, "I thought I'd see how it was going."

"Why?" Sakura decided to let her anger take over. It made things so much easier. "You think I can't do my job?"

"No –"

"Obviously that's what you think," she overrode him. "Seeing as you didn't bother taking me along this morning!"

"You were so embarrassed about last night you didn't give me a chance to talk to you about it."

She glared at him furiously. He just gave that trademark shrug of his shoulders and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Last night was embarrassing," she snapped.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" She hissed at him. "We watched a couple have sex!"

"For like, fifteen seconds. Besides we were on a mission."

"That was not a part of the mission!"

Kakashi fixed her with his most bored expression.

"You started it," he said childishly.

Her mouth fell open.

"Are you kidding me?" She practically screeched.

"No, I saw it clearly. You were intrigued. Your mind may be thinking like a virgin, Sakura, but your body sure isn't."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Her voice echoed through the trees around them as she got to her feet again.

"We can't be having conversations like this; you're my sensei!"

"Not anymore; I thought we were friends now," he shrugged, getting up as well.

"What does that even mean? Seriously! You're the older one here and you're acting like a goddamn teenager!"  
Kakashi slammed her unceremoniously into a tree, grabbing hold of her arms so she couldn't push him off. She gasped but Sakura couldn't tell if it was from surprise, the slight pain that had jarred down her spine, or excitement.

"Actually, Sakura-chan, for the first time, I'm treating you like any other adult female I enjoy spending my time with."

Sakura opened her mouth indignantly before pausing.

"Like any other female…" She repeated his words slowly. He just blinked at her whilst she nodded slowly.

"Ok," she gave a small laugh. She carefully placed her hands on his arms and gently removed them from her. "Maybe I'm the one acting like a teenager. Sorry, Kakashi."

He just stared at her.

"Let's go home," she smiled and began walking away. She didn't bother to see if he was following; of course he would be.

She was so damn stupid it hurt. Obviously she had taken things way out of context and assumed he was treating her differently, but he had said it himself. He was treating her just like any other woman he knew. After everything they had been through as a team, she honestly believed she deserved more than that. How much more, she was afraid to guess, but more. She needed to close the door on these 'curious' feelings. If she ever acted on them they would be in for a world of hurt. He used to be her teacher for crying out loud. It was so wrong! She had never even seen his face! How could you be attracted to someone if you had never seen their face? They were just playing. It was just stupid, friendly banter between a man and a woman that worked together and it could not go any further than that. She would admit that it had been exciting, but it had to stop. Obviously he was painfully aware that she was entertaining thoughts about them and either he was encouraging them for the sake of his damn story or simply because he enjoyed having his ego stroked. Probably both.

"Just stop," he sighed. She squinted over her shoulder but kept moving. "We'll be home soon," she replied.

"Sakura, its a hundred degrees. Let's wait til it cools down a bit."

He was already sitting on the ground. He had taken off his flak jacket and his jumper and was leaning against the trunk of a huge tree in his tank shirt and mask, eyes closed and arms bare. She turned towards him. Maybe she could just keep going? Another hour or two and she'd be back in the village. She could have a nice, cold shower and sit in front of her tower fan for the rest of the day. He was more than capable of making it back to Konoha on his own.

She sighed heavily and trudged over to him, dropping to the ground in an undignified heap.

"Give me the draft," he demanded.

"Excuse me?"

He sighed. "Can I please have the draft?"

She glared at him. She supposed it was more about the damn story after all.

"Fine," she snapped, rifling through her bag before throwing it at him. Several of the pages fluttered loose around their feet. She let him collect them, choosing instead to pull the leaves off some weeds growing around the base of the tree.

They sat in silence for the longest time. The only sounds were the rustling of the leaves as a hot breeze ruffled through the forest, the occasional call of a bird and the crinkling of paper as Kakashi finished reading a page.

"I think there is a page missing." Kakashi's voice was so loud next to her she actually jumped. He spared her a glance.

"Think I dozed off," she mumbled by way of explanation.

She rifled through the pages, scanning over the writing. He was right. One of Jiraiya's more intimate pages that she had been avoiding finishing was missing.

"Oh no…"

She had a frantic moment trying to think of where the hell she had been with those pages. Her house, the hotel, the Yoshida house… None of those places really mattered. Had she taken the draft anywhere else? She didn't think so… She certainly hoped not. That page would not do well to fall into the wrong hands.

"What's the matter?"

She looked at him for a moment before placing it back in her bag.

"It's just… that page was rather… detailed…"

"What?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Just some descriptive stuff I wouldn't like anyone we know finding."

She could feel his curious gaze on his face.

"The protagonists were doing some rather… naughty things…"

"Oh really?" He was grinning, she could tell.

"Stop it!" She shouted. She could feel her face burning.

"Sakura," he began, but she shook her head and cut him off. She hated that tone. It was his disappointed teacher voice and it made her want to smack him in the head.

"Why do you keep doing this? Why am I writing this?"

"Because you enjoy it."

She snorted at him contemptuously and he actually had the nerve to laugh. "I do not!"

"Oh, but you do," he leaned into her and she froze. Something was happening to the air around her. She could have sworn she felt the electricity sliding across her skin as he gazed down at her.

"You enjoy writing about something you want to feel. You enjoy it when I do this…"

"Kakashi," she breathed his name like it was the only important thing left in the world. How the hell had this happened to her? A week ago her life was so much simpler.

His name seemed to be some magic word. It worked in the woods the night before and it seemed to work again now because he leant back so suddenly she felt cold in the absence of his warmth. She shivered even though the air around her was still roasting hot.

"I'm confused," she admitted quietly.

He didn't answer for a short while. "About what?" He finally asked.

"A lot of things. Mostly about what you're getting out of me finishing this story."

He didn't answer her, instead getting to his feet in one swift motion. He offered her a hand and she took it, albeit a little reluctantly.

As they began walking again he eventually turned to her. "Would you believe me if I said I wasn't sure?"

She watched him carefully. He was maybe two steps in front of her. His shoulders had that tightness to them she had come to realise meant he was guarding his true thoughts.

"Probably not," she confessed.

He chuckled.

"Alright then." He stopped in front of her. "I'll say this; there is a reason." He pushed his hatai-ate up and stared into her eyes. The sharrigan was a deep, hypnotising red, but the tomoe were still. He wasn't trying any genjutsu on her, just looking her in the eyes. "There is a reason for everything I do, Sakura-chan. The real question is, can you trust that the reason is a good one? Can you trust me?"

She looked into those eyes and knew without a doubt that she would trust him with her life. "Of course I can."

He smiled then, and even though she couldn't see his lips, seeing it in his eyes was more than enough. She felt something tighten inside her. Something she willed away.

"Then stop worrying." He laid a hand softly on her head and ruffled her hair gently like he used to when she was a child.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kakashi sighed heavily as he threw his pack down next to the front door of his apartment. He needed a shower, a cup of tea and perhaps a drink. He honestly felt like he had had more feelings in the past 24 hours than he'd had in the last year. This mission was going to tear him apart from the inside out if he carried on this way. Maybe he should just tell her she could stop writing. Nothing was really coming of it as far as he could tell. She'd lost the dirtiest page out of the entire thing so there went his window into her fantasies, unless she wrote her own. He was beginning to seriously doubt it. He knew he was right, that she was definitely curious, but some part of her was just refusing to acknowledge it. More importantly, could that curiosity only be platonic? He certainly hoped so, but the way she was beginning to react made him think not. That would be an absolute disaster.

What was he supposed to do now? If it was any other woman he would just pull away and let it go. It wasn't though, it was his teammate and he didn't think the Hokage would appreciate it if one of her best teams fell apart because of him.

"It would be her own damn fault," he muttered to himself.

She trusted him implicitly, he saw it in her eyes. Words could often be hollow but he had never known someone so sincere and what was he doing with that trust? Using it to get her into bed. He honestly wished he was more of a jerk. A jerk wouldn't give a damn about how this would affect anyone; he would just get the job done.

Maybe he could just tell the Hokage that he had tried and failed? Surely it would be believable. Who would honestly think that Sakura would be the kind of girl that would sleep with her sensei? Kakashi barely believed it. Still, he had collected more than enough evidence over the past few days to the contrary. She was definitely interested; she had basically admitted that much in her own roundabout way.

And what about him? Why was he suddenly very interested in knowing what those little cherry blossom lips tasted like? He supposed he could be honest and admit to lust when he felt it. He had somehow slipped from his moral high ground and was beginning to look at her like a woman. The pink of her hair had gone from childish to enticing. He didn't think he had ever been with someone who had naturally pink hair. It would be interesting to see whether the hair between her –

"Nope," he said to no one in particular.

Kakashi was stumped. He really had no idea where to go from here. He figured she would continue writing the draft now so he still had that as an excuse to be in her company but if he knew anything about Sakura at all, it was that she avoided anything that would knowingly cause her embarrassment. How the hell was he supposed to seduce someone who was avoiding him? Eh, maybe he was wrong. Maybe she was more grown up now than he had been giving her credit for.

Sakura had to avoid him at all costs. Tsunade be damned, he could babysit himself. A few weeks apart should put them both back on track and they could go back to being nothing more than teammates. She wouldn't address anything that had happened over that mission, she would bury that damn Icha Icha draft in her underwear draw and just focus on her hospital research and upcoming mission. It's what she ought to be doing anyway. People were counting on her to figure those damn kunai out. Speaking off, she realised she wouldn't be able to go home and relax until she reported the latest discovery to her shishou.

"You're kidding!" Shizune gasped.

"I don't know why this is such a surprise to either of you. Do you really think I would have sent a genin team on a mission where they would come across shinobi dangerous or well-placed enough to have those weapons? I think we can assume they have gone into mass production." Tsunade poured herself another cup of sake and stared at her desk, utterly depressed.

"What are we going to do?" Sakura asked, scowling at the four-pronged kunai sitting between the three of them.

"I need to get in contact with the other Kage. The alliance is still holding for now, maybe they have some information we don't. Honestly, until we can figure this out, we may have to cease the lower ranking missions outside of the village."

"Shit," Shizune cursed with feeling.

Sakura turned wide eyes to her shishou. She didn't have to say it; the older woman would know the financial ramifications for the village. "Is there any way this mission to Hatchimitsu can be moved forward?" She asked instead.

Tsunade shook her head. "We thought the client might have moved early but apparently he's hunkered down somewhere near the border and we can't pin him. Even if we could there is no guarantee it's him. He was just our best guess based on what intel we received."

The three kunoichi stared dolefully at each other.

"Payment came through for you mission," Tsunade said, opening her draw and tossing Sakura the money. "Can you pass it on to Kakashi for me."

Sakura felt her face flush. "Uh…"

Tsunade eyed her suspiciously. "What's the problem? Did something happen?"

"No!" Sakura said quickly. She could feel Shizune's curious eyes on her as her shishou raised an eyebrow. Sakura took a deep, calming breath. "No," she began again, "We had a bit of a disagreement, that's all."

"And you were going to be completely mature about it and ignore him," Tsunade finished for her with a roll of those honey coloured eyes. Sakura just glared at her.

"Honestly Sakura, grow up and go give him his damn money."

Sakura stalked out of the office without another word.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Shizune watched the pink-haired woman go before turning back to Tsunade.

"Ok, let's for a moment forget the fact that I'm not supposed to know what is going on and have a frank discussion."

Tsunade paused with her cup halfway to her lips. "Kakashi told you?" She asked, a little surprised.

Shizune nodded. "It's hard for him too, he needed to talk to friends about it."

Tsunade snorted, "I didn't realise he actually spoke to his friends about his feelings."

Shizune shrugged in response. "I guess this mission is one of the more traumatic."

"He was a jounin during the Third Great Shinobi War for Kami-sama's sake; you can't honestly tell me this is worse than anything he went through during that nightmare."

Shizune shook her head. How did her mentor not understand? She decided to drop the lets pity kakashi angle and play a different card.

"Sakura is going to be so upset when she finds out about all this." She watched as Tsunade lowered her eyes. Probably to hide the guilt she was feeling.

"I know," the old Sannin sighed dramatically. "She'll understand eventually though, right?"

Shizune honestly didn't have an answer for her.

She spent the rest of her evening tying up some loose ends in the hospital before heading to the bar. She was definitely turning into her mentor. She wondered whether to find Kakashi and demand to know what had happened between the two of them. She would probably have better luck getting blood from a stone. Sakura might tell her eventually, but only if she left her alone. Pushing any issue with Sakura was not the way to get things done.

Genma found her sitting in her usual spot at the far end of the bar. She watched him sidle up with his usual idiotic grin and wondered if there was any way to shut him up before he got started.

"Yo, starting without me?"

"I didn't realise I was waiting for you." She quipped.

He sat in the stool beside her, waving over the bartender as he pulled off his headband and let his hair fall around his face. After he had a drink in his hand, he turned his gaze to her onyx eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Genma smirked. "Just come out with it woman."

She glowered at him before taking a sip of her drink. "Just wondering whether someone should let Sakura into the loop."

Genma, to his credit, didn't disagree. "Do you think she would be mature enough to understand why this was better for her?"

Shizune let out a long sigh. Sakura had definitely matured, but that much? "I don't think I would handle it very well, let alone Sakura."

"What do you mean?"

She chanced a glance at his soft brown eyes. Usually full of mirth, he seemed quite serious, concerned almost.

"I don't know," she sighed again. "Sakura is like me in many ways. I'd just prefer straight up honesty to all this tiptoeing around. I feel like it's almost insulting to her that nobody has just sat her down, explained the situation and let her decide."

The look Genma was giving her was completely unreadable.

"What?" She asked

"I, um… I may have fucked something up."

Was he admitting to a mistake? She never thought she'd see the day!

"What did you do?"

He cringed. He almost looked pale.

"Umm, do you like surprises?"

What was going on? "I don't know… sometimes?"

"I have to go." Genma drained the rest of his glass and practically ran from the bar. Shizune just rolled her eyes. Every male shinobi over the age of 18 was a complete mystery to her. She was almost thankful she wasn't married.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sakura stood outside Kakashi's apartment and stared up at his bedroom window. Ordinarily, she would have just scaled the building and let herself in, but she wasn't sure if their relationship was still at that level of comfort. How had it escalated to that level in the first place? She fumbled with the small pouch in her hands and thought about just tossing it through the window. That was probably pretty childish.

What were they to each other? Friends? Comrades? Why had everything become so blurred in the past week or so? The situation as she could see it was that they were both aware that she had become slightly attracted to him at some point. He was responding to that interest because apparently, that's just what he does with women. If she really thought about it, she had never known him to be in a relationship. He'd basically told her before their mission that he had only ever engaged with casual flings. So if – and that was a huge if – anything was to ever happen between them it wouldn't be long term.

Sakura stared at his window. Maybe she didn't want anything long term? Perhaps she just wanted one night. Just a chance to get rid of whatever the hell was happening inside her. She wouldn't be a virgin anymore so Ino would be happy at least…

"Oh my God…" She whispered, horrified with herself. Was she honestly considering having sex with her sensei?

Not anymore; I thought we were friends now…

"Stop it," She muttered to herself.

"S-Sakura-san?" A high-pitched, breathy voice came from behind her. Whirling round, she came face-to-face with Hinata. The violet-eyed woman glanced up at Kakashi's apartment before turning back to Sakura, horror plain on her face.

"What's the matter?" Sakura asked, getting over her initial fright at having such inappropriate thoughts interrupted. It's not like Hinata could read minds.

The Hyuuga heir seemed to be looking everywhere but into Sakura's eyes. She looked completely mortified and guilty. Without saying a word, Hinata handed her a folded piece of paper. Sakura didn't even have to open it to know exactly what it was. Hinata's expression was enough.

"Oh…" Sakura took it from her and stared at it for the longest time. She could understand Hinata's discomfort.

"I didn't write this," Sakura offered weakly.

"I-I know," Hinata stammered. "The – the writing isn't yours… except for the notes in the margin…"

Sakura crumpled the page and brought her fist up to her forehead. "I know how this looks, but please believe me Hinata-chan, there is nothing going on."

"Sakura-san, it's none of my business!" Hinata was as red in the face as Sakura felt.

"Nothing is happening!" Sakura practically yelled at the poor girl.

"O-Ok…" Hinata stared at her awkwardly for a moment before glancing up at Kakashi's apartment again then walking away.

Sakura watched her go. She may as well have ran from the street.

"Fuck," she said with feeling. Well, that pretty much made up her mind.

She stormed up the building and through his window. She was expecting him to be lying on the couch reading one of those blasted books, but instead he was bent over staring into his oven.

"Sakura," he said blandly, not even bothering to turn around.

"Here," she said, flinging the money pouch onto his small coffee table.

"Cheers."

She watched him for a second before deciding it was best other friends of hers didn't catch her hanging out at his home. As she turned around to leave, however, he spoke again.

"Hey, do you know how long cookies are supposed to take?"

"What?" She asked, spinning in a circle to face him again. He was still crouched with his nose pressed against the oven door glass.

"Pakkun was bugging me about the cookies you promised."

Sakura moved slowly into the small kitchen area and cautiously crouched next to him, afraid of being so close.

"Can I?" He waved his hand in response before moving backwards and sitting with his legs crossed, watching her.

Sakura opened the oven door and peaked inside. They were golden brown and smelled amazing.

"They're done," she said, closing the door again and sitting across from him. He was still staring at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Show me the page," he replied simply.

She couldn't even find the energy to be indignant that he had been listening in to yet another of her conversations. She just pulled it out of her pocket and tossed it over to him. He smoothed it out on his leg and spent a minute reading through her corrections.

"Sakura," he said finally, "this is terrible."

She snatched it from his hands and got to her feet.

"Seriously, I know you're a virgin but you've surely kissed someone before. You're other descriptive stuff is good but wow…"

"Right," she placed her hands on her hips and glared down at him. "If you don't like it, I'm not going to bother anymore."

"That's not it, I just mean use some of your experience. That's what Jiraiya did."

Sakura let out the biggest snort of laughter and looked at him derisively. "Yeah, I'm not really up for spying on people in the bathhouse."

Kakashi straightened his arms out behind him, leaning back on his hands and looking up at her with an expression she was beginning to see more of and like even less.

"But sitting in trees spying on people in the woods is completely different."

"Oh you know what, Kakashi? Fuck you."

Before she could turn and leave, he swiped his left foot towards her and knocked her legs out from under her. She landed on his kitchen floor painfully and glared up into his laughing eye.

"Be careful, Sakura-chan, a man may take you up on that offer."

"When I meet a man I'll make sure to be."

She felt his warm hands close around her thighs and couldn't help the small tremble that ran through her entire body. He pulled her towards him and a small gasp fell from her lips. She dragged her eyes to his and felt her mouth go dry.

"K-" he placed his index finger over her mouth to silence her.

"Don't." His voice sounded horse, like his throat was sore.

"…Why?" She whispered, afraid of the answer.

"Because it's unnerving as hell and you need to sort your shit out before you speak to me in that tone."

She blinked at him, confused. She sort of understood, but wasn't sure whether it was something she should pursue. Besides, this was her they were talking about. Why in all the Nations would he find her attractive enough to not be able to control himself just because she said his name? Besides, she wasn't really sure what tone he was on about.

"What is happening?" She said aloud.

He stared at her for another moment. "Close your eyes," he commanded. She almost hated that she complied without question, but she kept them closed regardless. His hands left her legs and she was almost disappointed. She heard a rustling of fabric as he moved and next thing she knew, a headband was being tied around her eyes.

"Umm…."

"You said you trust me."

She just nodded as she heard him stand up and open the oven door.

After several minutes of listening to him move around, Sakura was starting to feel a little stupid.

"Open up."

Kakashi pushed a little piece of cookie into her mouth. She chewed slowly, enjoying the simplicity of the vanilla and chocolate chips.

"It's good," she said after swallowing. "Why am I doing this with my eyes closed?"

"One more," he said. He was suddenly so close she could feel his breath blow across her face.

Something soft and so, so hot pressed against her lips and she froze. What was going on? What was he doing? Her heart was thudding against her chest so hard she was surprised he couldn't hear it. Hell maybe he could? Surely he would feel it; her blood was thrumming through her body and she almost felt like she was vibrating.

It felt like a lifetime but in reality the kiss barely lasted a second.

A/N – Yey finally! Kinda… Lol ^^


	11. Chapter 11 - The sound of your voice

Chapter 11 – The sound of your voice

I never knew perfection til I heard you speak and now it kills me just to hear you say the simple things… - Maroon 5

Suddenly the only sounds she could hear were the clock next to the front door ticking away merrily to itself and her own heart as it tried to find its natural rhythm.

After an immeasurably long amount of time, Sakura reached up and removed his hatai-ate from her eyes. She blinked a few times before slowly looking around. Kakashi was gone. He had left her in his own apartment and bailed. Who kisses someone and leaves them in their home? Who blindfolds someone, kisses them, and then leaves?

What kind of teacher blindfolds his own student, kisses them and then LEAVES!

Sakura wasn't even sure if she could summon her anger from that deep, dark place it usually sleeps. She slowly got to her feet and walked through Kakashi's bedroom to the window in a complete daze. The walk to her apartment seemed to stretch on for eternity yet she was still surprised when she found herself outside her front door.

Her thoughts were so jumbled it took her several moments to realise her couch was occupied by a spill of long blonde hair. Large blue eyes were blinking up at her.

"Forehead, you look like you've been hit by a paper bomb."

Sakura opened her mouth but had forgotten how to form words.

Ino got off the couch and stood in front of her. Her mild amusement was quickly turning to concern and Sakura knew she had to remember how to speak quickly before her overdramatic friend jumped to conclusions.

"Oh my God!" The blonde shrieked. "What have you done? You look like Ten Ten after her first time with –Holy shit! You had sex?"

"No!" Sakura's voice finally burst out of her.

"Well what then?"

Sakura slowly brought her fingers to her lips and stared past her friend into nothing. How was she going to describe what she had just experienced? Saying she had been kissed just sounded to innocent to warrant her current state of shock. Ino surely wouldn't buy that…

"I… I don't…" Sakura shrugged hopelessly.

"Ok, keep your secret for now. Do you want to come out for a bit tonight?"

Sakura eyed her suspiciously. "Since when did you not pry into every little detail off my life?"

Ino grinned at her. "Since I need a favour. Besides, I kept something from you for a day. I'll give you 24 hours then I'll be back to my merciless self."

Sakura smiled at her weakly. "I probably need a year before I can even begin to make sense of this myself, let alone tell you about it."

"Well," Ino said, clapping her hands together. "You have 24 hours."

Sakura groaned loudly. "What's this favour, anyway?"

Ino fiddled with the ends of her hair. Sakura was fairly certain she had picked this habit up from Ino herself. Watching her friend, she realised it was a dead giveaway of the discomfort she was feeling. Sakura really hoped her emotions weren't so obvious.

"I need you to tag along on a team outing tonight."

"Huh?"

Ino's hands dropped to her sides. "We were going to get dinner. It was planned before we went out last week. I just – I can't. Please, I need a girl there."

Finally understanding, Sakura shook her head and collapsed onto the couch. "Why are we so afraid of stupid little boys? Seriously, they're probably more confused than we are but we skulk around with our tails between our legs."

Ino just stared at her. "What is happening?"

"Nothing," Sakura mumbled. "I'll come out. I need to get fucking hammered."

"Uh… ok. Sounds bloody good to me."

Sakura stared up at her questioningly. "So you and Shikamaru..?"

Ino groaned. "We've both agreed to forget about it but honestly, it's just always there. It hangs in the air like this giant, invisible thing."

Sakura put her head in her hands and sighed loudly. "I was afraid of that," she mumbled.  
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"This is the final time I am asking and I swear to Kami-sama you need to give me a straight damn answer!" Tsunade looked daggers at the infuriating man slouching on the railing on top of the Hokage tower.

Kakashi sighed and gazed up at the clouds. It was a gorgeous day, which only served to irritate him further. When was Autumn finally going to show itself?

"Hatake!"

"She's still a virgin."

Tsunade just stared at him. "Are you impotent?"

"Excuse me?"

"I gave you this mission a week ago. I gave you the perfect opportunity away from the village. I was hoping spending an extra night meant you had done something other than piss her off."

Kakashi sighed and brought his attention back to the buxom blonde beside him.

"I kissed her?" He offered.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realise when I asked you to do this that you were also a virgin."

Kakashi gave her his most disgusted look. "I'm starting to understand where a lot of Sakura's attitude comes from."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You realise you have 3 weeks?"

Kakashi pushed himself off the railing with a sigh. "She's interested. Do you think I would still be alive if I had kissed her and she hadn't liked it?"

Tsunade crossed her arms. "You have a point. Will this be done before she has to leave?"

Kakashi pinched his nose and began walking away.

"Kakashi!"

"Yes!" He snapped, before leaping off the side of the building and racing away across the rooftops.

Of course it would be done before his deadline was up. They had gone from comrades to kissing in a week. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would be able to convince her to jump into his bed. Sure, he was expecting the cold shoulder for a few days but it wouldn't last; she was too invested. He could smell her arousal as his lips had touched hers.

It was no longer a matter of if, but when.

When was he going to screw up everything?

He paused and watched the sun sinking in the sky for a while. The buzz of insects and the humidity seemed to transport him back to the middle of summer. It was unusually hot. Where was that cool breeze from a few days ago that had promised the end of this hell? He sat down and continued to stare out over the village. He could do it tonight. She would probably still be in a state of confusion, he could easily take advantage of that vulnerability.

The sun had completely gone down when he was rudely interrupted from his thoughts.

"Hatake?"

Kakashi nodded in acknowledgement as Genma crouched beside him.

"So Shizune said she prefers complete honesty to someone who beats around the bush."

Kakashi didn't bother answering.

"I was sending her roses. I also arranged to accompany her to Suna tomorrow. I have to ask the Kazegake about those kunai before I leave to set up Pinky's mission. Anyway she won't know until I meet her at the gate where I may have left a few bouquets like a damn loser."

Kakashi sighed heavily. How was this his problem all of a sudden?

"Speaking of Pinky, how is that going?"

As if fate had cruelly put aside this very moment just to mess with him, said kunoichi came strolling into view, arm in arm with that loud girl she was such good friends with. He noticed Shikamaru and Chouji following behind them. It suddenly dawned on him that the village's number one tactician had slept with her a week ago. He was mildly interested to hear how that was going. Mostly because he was nosier than he let on.

"Is she drunk again?" Genma asked, sounding almost impressed.

Kakashi rolled his eyes as she tripped over her own feet.

"Probably," he muttered.

"Going to offer to take her home?" Genma grinned, nudging Kakashi's arm with his elbow.

"Nope," Kakashi replied, getting to his feet. "If she want's my company she can come and find it."

He left Genma sitting on the roof with a perplexed expression on his face.

Kakashi was done for the day. He wasn't sure why, but he felt kind of pissed off. Whether at himself, her or the whole situation, he wasn't sure, but he knew he didn't want to deal with any of it until tomorrow. He was frustrated in more ways than one. Unfortunately, he couldn't bring himself to fool around with any random woman tonight. If Sakura found out somehow it surely wouldn't work out in his favour.

Why did he care so much anyway? It wasn't like they were married, he was allowed to sleep with other women. He scanned the street below him and located at least four women that he was fairly certain he could seduce quite easily. His eyes found the pink-haired kunoichi again. Apparently he hadn't moved very far.

"Oi, Kakashi!"

He glanced back at Genma who had gotten up and was stretching his arms up above his head.

"Want to get a drink?"

He spared one last glance down and their eyes locked. She must have heard Genma shouting his name. The night seemed to skip a few seconds before he spun around and leapt away, leaving Genma to shout indignantly after him.

Had he just run away?  
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"What are you doing here?" Shizune gaped as Genma came strolling up to the gate.

"Tagging along. I have to chat to the Kazekage regarding the Hatchimatsu mission." He smiled at her and Shizune nodded before turning to leave.

"What the hell?" Shizune froze. One long stem orange rose was lying just across the path.

"Umm, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," Shizune replied curtly before stomping over the rose and out of the gate.

Genma sighed and thanked the First that he had gotten rid of all the others. So much for his grand confession or whatever it was he was going to say. Maybe he should just give up. He had never put this much effort into a woman before. Well, effort might be a loose term but it usually didn't take much.

He watched her striding up the path, the angry sway of her hips rather enticing. Maybe he wasn't quite ready to let this go yet.  
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It had been four days since she had seen the man who was the object of all her turmoil. Four days of ridiculous dreams at night and walking around so distracted during the day that she often found herself having to apologise for bumping into someone or dropping something. Four days of yelling at Ino whenever she tried to drag her secret out. Sakura loved Ino but she wasn't ready to talk to the opinionated little wench about it.

She was surprised she hadn't actually run into the man in question seeing as a week ago he was popping up everywhere. Would he be avoiding her? Maybe… Why though? He had been the one that had kissed her.

Sakura wandered into the staff room in the hospital and smiled as she found her shishou rifling through the notes Shizune had left her.

"Ugh!" The Hokage threw the paperwork onto the table and turned her scorching gaze onto Sakura. "Who the hell taught that woman how to write!"

Sakura giggled but stopped short as she caught Tsunade's eyes.

"Seriously, I need this info but I have no idea what half of it says."

Sakura glanced over the notes and shrugged. She had never been able to interpret Shizune's scribbles, often having to ask her older friend to rewrite some of her charts in print.

"Is it important?" Sakura inquired.

Tsunade massaged her temples slowly. "She's been developing a master antidote. It could effectively deal with twelve different poisons."

"Oh she mentioned that," Sakura nodded. "She'll be back in a few weeks though right?"

Tsunade regarded her through her long fingers.

Taking her hands from her face, she suddenly threw Sakura under the metaphorical bus. "Weren't you supposed to be babysitting Kakashi? Kind of hard when you are avoiding him."

"I-I'm sorry?" She stammered.

Tsunade fixed her with a look that made it quite clear that Sakura couldn't pull the wool over her eyes. A grin suddenly split Tsunade's face so wide that a ball of fear began to form in the pit of Sakura's stomach.

"What?" She asked suspiciously.

"Well," the Fifth put her hands on her hips and her eyes gleamed. "This is kind of important. I really need someone to run to Suna and get this sorted as soon as possible."

Sakura sighed. "Fine, I'll be back in a few days."

"I'll organise someone to accompany you."

"Why?"

"Sakura," the Hokage snapped, "you more than anyone know how dangerous things are at the moment. You need an escort."

Sakura rolled her eyes. She hated it when other people made logical decisions she didn't agree with.  
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Kakashi trudged towards the gate, hands in his pockets, shoulders slouched and a scowl on his face. It hadn't taken him very long to figure out he was the one he was pissed off at, but it had only served to strengthen his foul mood. Then to top it off, his delightful Hokage, unimpressed with his complete lack of effort over the past few days, had informed him he would be stuck with the little pinkette for several days; no buffer.

He wasn't sure how she was going to take the news. Given his brief conversation with Tsunade, she had decided against forewarning Sakura of the identity of her escort as her attitude towards him had been less than friendly. He was not looking forward to the next few days.

As he rounded the corner and her eyes landed on him, he almost turned tail and ran home. Her expression was a mix of fear, fury and finally set into feigned indifference. He heaved a sigh and walked slowly towards her.

"Yo," he said.

"So it's you?"

"Yep," he attempted a smile but it faltered as she turned around and strode off.

With a roll of his eyes, he followed her out the gate and prayed he would actually make it home alive.

By the time the sun had started sinking in the sky they had been travelling at a slow jog for about three hours in complete silence. She hadn't even looked at him. He had been trailing behind watching her move, perhaps appreciating her move might have been a better way of putting it, but mostly just waiting for her to speak. She always spoke first. He usually enjoyed the peace and quiet but for some reason it bad been bothering him for the entire journey.

After watching her ass in those tiny shorts for a further two minutes, his patience snapped.

"Sakura, we're losing the light."

She kept moving, blatantly ignoring him.

"Sakura!" He snapped.

She whirled mid-step so quickly Kakashi almost skidded to a halt to avoid crashing into her. If she had been the same height they would have ended up nose to nose.

"What would you like me to do about the sun, sensei?"

Her tone didn't match her posture and he found himself unable to reply. He just gaped at her instead. How could someone's body give off so much hostility when their voice sounded like it was made from honey? She was just watching him, waiting. When had the tables turned? Wasn't he usually the one waiting for her to speak?

"Umm, shouldn't we set up camp?"

"Is that an order, taichou?"

Kakashi stared at her blankly. "No?"

Sakura rolled her eyes before throwing her pack on the ground. "I have a few packed meals if you're hungry." She unfurled her sleeping bag and pulled the pre-packaged food out. As she sat on her blankets she tossed him one, which he really hadn't been expecting. He didn't move to catch it and the two of them watched as it bounced off his stomach then spilt all over the ground. She looked at him stunned. To be honest, he was actually shocked as well. What kind of shinobi didn't react to something getting thrown at him.

"Ok, what is going on?" He asked; though whether he was talking to her or himself he wasn't sure.

She just raised an eyebrow and started eating. He glanced down at the food and decided he wouldn't be missing out on much. The pre-packed meals they usually provided tasted like crap anyway. He watched her chew her food idly for a minute. She was studiously looking at the sky. He gave a sigh and took his own sleeping bag out, placing it at least three metres away from hers. For some reason he wasn't sure if being close enough for her to reach was a good idea.

For the first time since he had met her all those years ago he was struggling to understand what was happening inside her mind. Her emotions were often so clearly painted on her face but this evening she had somehow managed to master the signature blank face of a skilled jounin. He honestly had never believed her capable of it. Unfortunately, he hadn't thought he would be the one on the receiving end of it if the day ever did come. She was a lot better at it than he had ever thought possible. To make it worse, her aggressive body posture had slackened since she had sat down as well. At least if she had still been rigid and stiff in her movements he would have known for sure she was pissed, but it had all melted away.

Once her food was finished, she had lain back on her sleeping bag, arms thrown behind her head and closed her eyes.

"Guess I'll take first watch then," Kakashi huffed. He continued to glare at her relaxed form when she didn't answer. No one fell asleep that quick.  
__________________________________________________________________________________

It was exactly how Ino had described it. The kiss hovered between them every single moment they were together and Sakura honestly had no idea how to deal with it. Inner Sakura kept demanding that she embraced her fury and just stomped on his stupid face for assuming that it was ok to blindfold and kiss her. The more mature side that she had been attempting to cultivate lately told her to keep quiet and try and act like nothing at all was wrong. Unfortunately her two conflicting thought processes had resulted in a sort of stalemate where she just couldn't do or say anything to him at all.

On top of everything, she had the curious feeling that her silence was bothering him. He seemed to buzz with irritation and she was beginning to think that she was affecting him almost as much as he did her. Whenever the thought entered her mind, however, she quickly chased it away. That couldn't really be possible. If it was, then he had more feelings towards her than she cared to admit. Why though? Perhaps it was a pride thing. He was probably so used to women throwing themselves at him that the fact he had kissed her and she hadn't followed up on it probably bruised his delicate ego.

They had passed the border of Fire and Rain some time ago and as they approached the nation of Wind, the heat began to intensify. It wasn't the usual, sweat inducing humidity of the Fire country but a dry, scorching heat that literally dried the sweat off her skin before it had a chance to properly form. She had to admit, she sort of preferred it. At least she would have if the heat wasn't attempting to choke the life from her body. By the time grains of sand began mixing with the wind, Sakura was starting to feel like the air held no more oxygen.

They were stopped by several ninja on the way through, but they recognised Kakashi instantly and waved him through.

"Thank you," she managed to gasp out when she realised Kakashi was going to keep moving without acknowledging them. Yep, he really was in a foul mood. She supposed she hadn't really helped, what with surreptitiously ignoring him all day, but she really had no idea what to say to him anymore.

As the afternoon wore on Sakura was certain she was going to die out in that damn desert with the wind whipping flurries of sand into her eyes as she trudged piteously across the dunes. Running on sand was the hardest thing. It just wasn't solid and spilled away with every step as if determined to pull her feet out from under her.

She was very close to breaking down in despair when Suna finally came into sight.

"Thank Kami-sama," came Kakashi's gruff voice. Apparently he had been suffering too; something she would have known if their usual banter had accompanied them on the journey rather than the painful silence.

They received a generally warm welcome as they passed through the mountain and into the village. Since the War had ended and the alliance had held strong, Konoha shinobi were usually greeted with a smile by both the ninja and civilians of Suna, but they were especially smitten with the Copy Ninja. The esteemed general of the Fourth Division, however, ignored the friendly waves and called greetings. Sakura did her best in his place but she couldn't say she was surprised. Even if he wasn't in such a bad mood, he usually ignored the same behaviour of the people in his own village, too.

Hoping for a cool shower before finding Shizune, Sakura almost demanded that they found somewhere to stay first when she realised he was marching in the direction of the Kazekage's tower. She settled for a small roll of her eyes, however, and fell in step beside him. She noticed him glance down at her, but neither of them broke the silence that had been hanging over them since they had awoke that morning.

They only had to wait outside the Kazekage's office for several minutes before a kunoichi came striding confidently out of the doors with a smile.

"Temari-san," Sakura beamed in greeting.

"Konnichiwa, Sakura," the wind expert replied, her giant fan ever present across her back. She raised a hand to Kakashi, who nodded back.

"How is everyone?" Temari asked, turning back to Sakura.

She shrugged in reply. "Same as ever, really."

"And how is… he?"

Sakura just looked at her, unsure of how to reply. Temari and Shikamaru had definitely gotten to be quite close in the aftermath of the War, but as neither were ready to leave their homes and they spent increasingly large amounts of time apart, whatever it was had fallen by the wayside. Sakura didn't really think mentioning Ino was a tactful move, seeing as Temari had never particularly liked her friend hanging off of Shikamaru. That was before the two of them had slept together. Temari could be just as fiery as herself at times and she didn't want to throw her best friend to the wolves just yet, however tempting it may be.

"Uh, also the same," she said, somewhat awkwardly.

Temari raised an eyebrow like she wasn't convinced, but decided to drop the matter.

"Gaara is ready for you now," she said, waving her arm back through the doors. Kakashi walked passed without a word and Sakura followed him with a weak smile back at Temari.

"Kazekage-sama," Kakashi said with a bow. His voice sounded a little scratchy to Sakura, but considering those were only the second words he had said all day it wasn't that much of a surprise.

"Kakashi-san, Sakura-san. We weren't expecting you until tomorrow."

"Apologies, Kazekage-sama; we moved faster than we thought." Kakashi offered. He was right on that one. Sakura had been struggling to keep up with him most of the day. He had been moving like the hounds of hell were on his heels and she had no idea why.

Gaara nodded before turning his eyes to Sakura with a small smile.

"I hope I find you well," he said, ever the gentleman.

Sakura returned his smile warmly. "Certainly, Gaara-sama. Naruto was a little annoyed he wasn't selected to come along with me so he could visit."

"He was here not long ago," Gaara replied, slightly confused.

Sakura chuckled. "He sees you as a very important friend, Gaara-sama."

The Kazekage's smile widened slightly.

After being shown to her room, Sakura spent the following forty minutes sitting under the cool water, washing away the dust, sand and heat of the day. As she stepped out of the shower finally, she wondered if winter ever actually touched Suna. The sun was going down but the air was still chokingly warm.

She noticed that someone had provided a light cotton kimono on her bed and she slipped it on, grateful that she didn't have to put on her disgusting clothes. She could have pulled on something she had brought along but the tight fabrics wouldn't have kept her very cool. After tying her wet hair up in a messy bun, she left her room in search of Shizune.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------

"Kakashi?"

"Yo," he grumbled in response as Genma and Shizune came up the corridor. Shizune was in her usual kimono but Genma had ditched the majority of his jounin uniform in an attempt to stay cool. Kakashi had done the same, leaving his flak jacket and sweater behind. After his shower, it had taken a lot of resolve to put pants back on. If he hated summer in Konoha, he absolutely loathed the weather in Suna. Thankfully the night had brought a little relief, but he could still feel the sweat beading under the fabric of his mask and along his hairline.

"I thought you avoided this place if you could?" Genma asked, coming up alongside him.

"Hokage," Kakashi grunted by way of explanation.

Genma nodded understandingly.

Kakashi glared out of the window at the village below. "So," he began, "I'm assuming you've located the best bar in this oven?"

Shizune's eyes narrowed. "I'm here to do a job. Why would you think –" Kakashi shot her a look that said he clearly wasn't buying what she was selling – "Fine. Let's go."

Once settled into the cramped bar with a second drink in his hand, Kakashi heaved a sigh and stared across the table at his two friends. "This is getting out of hand so I need the two of you to play angels and devil's advocate for the next five minutes."

Shizune looked at him curiously while Genma grinned. "Please don't tell me I'm going to lose my bet."

"What's going on?" Shizune asked, concerned.

"I don't think I can go through with this," he said, taking another swig from the sake bottle in front of him.

Shizune and Genma glanced at each other before the kunoichi turned back to Kakashi.

"We actually had a discussion about this yesterday."

Kakashi's eyes snapped up to glare at her. "I didn't realise this was such an interesting topic."

"I don't think you should," Genma said simply. Kakashi's jaw dropped open.

"What?"

He caught the approving look Shizune shot Genma and understood.

"Oh, I get it," he began sardonically. "Could you forget about your own agenda for two minutes though?"

Genma shot him a look across the table as a confused Shizune spoke up. "What agenda?"

"Nothing," Genma laughed lightly but it didn't reach his eyes. "Apparently old Kakashi-sensei is in a bit of a shit mood."

Shizune appeared to lose interest and turned back to him. "Kakashi, maybe you shouldn't. I mean, I thought it was a good idea but I don't know anymore."

"The girl deserves more respect than this."

Kakashi could not comprehend what was coming out of Genma's mouth.

"What happened to 'rile her up and give her what she needs?'" He asked.

Genma scratched the back of his head and glanced nervously at Shizune. The kunoichi was still watching Kakashi, however. "Well, I guess I've realised a few things lately. Maybe she does deserve something better than this."

"Great," Kakashi deadpanned. "I don't know what to do, you guys have changed your minds and the damn kunoichi in question hasn't said a word to me all day. This is fantastic."

"What? Why?" Shizune asked.

Kakashi considered telling them but his mood was spiralling out of control.

"I need to go to bed," he said instead. He left without another word, leaving the other shinobi staring after him.  
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Shizune caught up with her younger friend soon after leaving the bar. After a quick hug and the exchanging of pleasantries, the two women were sitting together on the window seat in Shizune's room sharing the ice tea the older medic had the foresight of preparing every morning before setting off for work. It made a refreshing treat for when she got home.

Sakura had her feet curled underneath herself and had been happily chatting away for fifteen minutes or so before Shizune had decided she couldn't take it anymore.

"What happened between you and Kakashi?"

Sakura nearly chocked on her tea and turned large, innocent eyes to her friend. Shizune wasn't convinced in the slightest.

"I know something happened because I've already spoken to him and he's much more surly than usual."

"You think so too, huh?" Sakura replied with a sigh. Shizune could tell she was weighing up the pros and cons of confessing and had to suppress a victorious chuckle when Sakura heaved a sigh in defeat.

"We kissed."

Sakura seemed to have been expecting more of a reaction as she cocked an eyebrow at Shizune's apparent lack of surprise. Well, if Kakashi was supposed to have sex with this girl eventually obviously there would be kissing. Instead of saying so, Shizune arranged her face into a suitably surprised expression and said, "Wow… That's kind of.. umm –"

"Disturbing?" Sakura offered.

"Why?"

The younger girl seemed to be caught off guard as she formulated a response. "Well… He's so much older than me, he was my sensei for crying out loud – Do I need more reasons?"

Shizune shrugged. "Neither of them seem viable enough to be disgusted, so I guess you do. Kakashi is a good man." Mostly, she added to herself. A good man would really have just been honest about the entire thing from the start, even if he thought his hands were tied because it was a direct order from the Hokage.

Sakura was gaping at her as if she had just sprouted an extra head.

"Look, if you're wanting me to disaprove of this then you'll be waiting a while." Shizune just couldn't leave well enough alone, however, so continued. "I will say this though; Kakashi has only just begun talking to his friends about his feelings in the past few years. Actually, probably since the formation of Team 7, if I'm honest."

"What do you mean?" Sakura seemed genuinely confused.

"He never used to go drinking with us. He never even bothered to acknowledge our presence, most of the time. To be honest, even now he doesn't really discuss his feelings. Sure, he lets us know things that are happening in his life but he won't exactly turn around and say, 'yunno what Shizune? My feelings are kind of hurt today because I kissed a girl and now she's ignoring me.' Sakura, he's the kind of man who pretends he doesn't have broken ribs even if they're sticking out of his side for Kami-sama's sake."

Sakura's eyes hadn't left Shizune's face and she could tell the young girl was having difficulty processing so much information which, to be frank, Shizune felt was kind of ridiculous. She had been that man's student and subordinate for this many years and not figured this out?

"Wait," Sakura said slowly, "his feelings are hurt?"

"What did you expect?"

"I – I honestly believed he was just mad about his ego being deflated."

Shizune couldn't help her laugh from bursting fourth. "I would not be surprised if that was also the case. Men can be bizarrely childish about that kind of thing."

Sakura was twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "I need to talk to him, don't I?"

Should she tell her? No, it wasn't her place, but she couldn't let her friend carry on like this. Kakashi may have been fourteen years older than Sakura but when it came down to it they were both just as useless where their own feelings were involved.

"Sakura, there may be more to this than you realise. You really should talk to him."

Those emerald eyes stared out the window as she nodded. Getting up, she placed the glass of tea on the nearby table and headed slowly for the door, as if she wasn't quite sure how to walk anymore.

"One foot in front of the other, Skaura," Shizune giggled to herself.  
____________________________________________________________________________________

"In case you were confused earlier, you were supposed to be playing the devil on my shoulder," Kakashi snapped as Genma let himself into his bedroom.

"I know," the man replied, the familiar senbon bouncing on his bottom lip as he spoke. "I really am sorry. Honestly though, Shizune has maddeningly started making me seriously think about how this actually could play out and I'm starting to get the feeling you wouldn't like the outcome."

"What?" Kakashi tore his eyes away from Icha Icha Tactics to stare at the man from across the room. He had folded his arms and was leaning casually against the open doorway.

"Mate, you're as hopeless as I am, but I still have two working eyes."

"My eyes are fine," Kakashi snapped, rubbing a hand over the sharingan unconsciously.

"My point is," Genma said with a grin, "you're so pissed off because you think you've seriously upset her."

"No I'm not," Kakashi countered, sounding childish even to himself.

Genma shrugged, that infuriating smile still in place. "Just think about how you're gonna feel when she finds out. Kakashi, you're not the bad guy here, you don't deserve the life of misery you so desperately seek."

Kakashi had had enough. He snapped his book shut and stood up. "Genma, make your point or leave."

"Fine," the man dropped his arms to his side and stood up a little straighter. "Tell her before it is too late. She's grating on your nerves because some part of you actually enjoys her company. You want to be around her and you're putting this mission off because you know she's not going to forgive you."

Kakashi dropped his book onto the table.

"It's Sakura. My little student. My irrational, pain in the ass, smug, innocent, infuriating – "

Genma's raucous laugh cut him off mid tirade.

"Oh wow," he choked out between chuckles, "I hadn't realised just how deep under your skin she had got."

"Get out," Kakashi growled.

"Hai, hai," Genma agreed, still giggling to himself. Just as he had disappeared from Kakashi's sight, he heard the bastard's voice again.

"Ah- Sakura-chan! I hope you're having as interesting an evening as I am."

"Sorry?"

Kakashi stared at the door glumly as her figure came into view. She was still watching Genma with confusion plastered across her face, so he had a few moments to appreciate the sight of her in the form-fitting kimono. The material was so light that it almost sat on her frame like a second skin.

"Shit," he whispered dejectedly. Perhaps Genma was right? Maybe that was the real reason he had been feeling so pissed off with himself? He really would be miserable when she found out and decided never to speak to him again. Was there really anyway he could salvage this now or was it already too late?

She turned in his direction and averted her gaze almost instantly when their eyes met. Maybe it was already happening? He knew she was attracted to him but those damn emotions of hers would put a damper on the entire thing. He'd been foolish to ever seriously believe he could convince both her and himself that she would ever be on board with the idea of friends with benefits.

He waited for her to speak. She said nothing. Sakura stood in his doorway, the light from the corridor behind her, and said nothing. He was starting to realise he couldn't handle her not speaking to him. Genma was right. Fuck.

"Sakura –"

"Kakashi," she cut him off softly.

Something in him relaxed. It felt like an elastic band had finally snapped and his muscles automatically lost the tenseness he had been carrying around for the past few days. Had he really missed hearing her say his name that much? Several days ago he had been admonishing her for it. Admittedly the tone wasn't as heavy with the implications of her arousal but still…

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm so sorry."

He wasn't sure what to say. Was he disappointed she had added the sensei to his name again? Kind of. He definitely didn't understand why she was apologising to him.

"Uh – for what?"

"I've been acting like a child," she spoke to the floor, still apparently unable to look him in the eyes. "I wasn't sure how to react about… about what happened, so I just ignored it. Obviously that wasn't a very mature way to handle it." She spoke quickly, almost as if she didn't trust herself to get the words out if she said them at a normal pace.

"Oh," he scratched his head uncomfortably. What was he supposed to say now? Sorry that he had kissed her? That would have been a lie. Sorry that he wanted to do it again? Another lie.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask if it was ok first." That was a start.

She looked up at him then. He actually found himself wishing she was looking at the floor again. Those eyes could be almost as dangerous as his.

The tiniest hint of a smile ghosted across her lips. "It wouldn't have been the same if you had asked."

Unsure of the safest reply, Kakashi considered his next words carefully. "Perhaps not, but you wouldn't have been so upset with me, either."

"I'm actually not sure how I feel about it." She shrugged and her eyes glanced around his room. He suddenly found himself wishing they were on him again. He was just one big ball of indecisiveness tonight. That wasn't right. He was Kakashi Hatake for God's sake, not a teenage girl.

"I know how I do," he smiled.

As she turned to look at him again, he braced himself. Ordinarily, he would have expected her to yell at him for being a pervert and it might have been too soon to start acting like his usual self. He noticed, however, the faintest tinge of pink blush her cheeks.

"Apparently you know more than you think," he murmured.

She clearly chose to ignore his comment and said instead, "Shizune was the one who convinced me to come and talk to you, but the way she said it… I don't want to push but should we be having a more serious conversation than this?"

Kakashi inwardly cursed his so-called friend and smiled at Sakura. "I'm not sure?"

She regarded him with those large green eyes before nodding. "Ok."

She had let that one go pretty quickly. Kakashi knew exactly what Shizune had wanted him to say, but unfortunately Genma, the damn bastard that he was, had been completely right. The fact now was that he couldn't say a damn word. At least, not for tonight. She had just started talking to him again. She had actually smiled at him for the first time in almost five days. If he told her now, that was it; it would all be over. He wasn't quite ready to let it go.

That is so damn selfish, he reprimanded himself.

Staring at the woman across the room, he decided he could afford to be selfish for a little while longer. If it really was ending soon, then he wanted a little more time to create some memories that could hopefully provide a little comfort in the dark days to come.

"I better be getting to bed," she said, turning around to leave.

"Oh, ok," kakashi replied.

She stopped in the doorway, one hand on the frame, to glance back at him. There was something uncertain in her expression. Kakashi was glad she had dropped her emotionless mask, it didn't suit her in the slightest.

"Are we ok?" She asked.

He couldn't help the smile that broke out across his face. She must have been able to tell, because her own lips twitched upwards.

"Of course," he said warmly.

For now.  
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A/N – Okie dokie guys, this was a bit of a muddling through their feelings chapter sorry and I'm not entirely sure how the next chapter is going to pan out so it might be a while. I love all the reviews and emails though; some things have actually been influenced by your thoughts regarding the story content so thank you :) I promise to try my best not to keep you waiting too long! I've been comsumed by an original idea lately that has been taking up my writing time but KakaSaku is never far from my mind ^^

Till next time,

Silver


	12. Chapter 12 - Teachers who inspire

Chapter 12 – Teachers who inspire

Sakura sighed happily. She honestly believed Gaara was now her favourite person in the world. Apparently not many outsiders were privy to Suna’s best kept secret and Sakura finally understood why the people who called this intense, blast-furnace of a village home didn’t go stark-crazy in the heat. Konoha had hot springs – the village hidden in the sand had an oasis.

Propping herself up on her elbows, Sakura smiled as she gazed around. It wasn’t the biggest lake she had ever seen. To be honest, it would probably only take her about a minute to swim from one side to the other. A collection of rocks about ten or so feet high on one end created a small waterfall and the perfect jumping platform for some of the older kids running around. By some miracle she didn’t understand, the whole area felt cooler than anywhere she had been in Wind country and although the grass she had thrown her towel over was paler and felt more coarse than grass of her home, it was preferably to the sand and grit that permeated the rest of the village.

When herself, Shizune, Genma and yes, even Kakashi had first wandered into the hidden valley, they had received some confused looks from a lot of the locals, but when it became apparent they were with the Kazekage, everyone had just accepted their presence. Gaara was lazily swirling sand around as he sat perched against a palm tree, much to the delight of several young children nearby. He had realised pretty quickly that his guests were suffering in the heat and invited them to spend the morning in this little slice of paradise. Temari was lying next to Sakura in the shade with her eyes closed. Unsure of whether she was asleep or not, Sakura decided not to say anything, even though her gratitude was threatening to burst forth once more. She had no idea how many times she had thanked them both since arriving but it would never be enough.

To her growing amusement, Shizune had been spending a strange amount of time with Genma that morning. He had asked her to join him early upon arriving for a swim and the two of them had barely left the lake. Sakura raised an eyebrow, grinning, as she watched Genma lift a laughing Shizune out of the clear water to throw her back in again.

Finally, her eyes flickered to a spot roughly twenty-five feet away, as it had countless times that morning. Unsurprisingly, the flint coloured eye glanced up and met hers as if he knew every single time she looked over. He smiled, then returned to his book. Kakashi had bee-lined for the hammock the second he saw it, kicking some teenager out in the process. He hadn’t moved for the several hours they had been there, much to Sakura’s surprise. Surely he would have wanted to go for a swim and cool off? Sakura had revelled in the feeling of cool water swirling over her exposed skin; it had been heavenly. She would definitely be jumping in again before leaving. Perhaps she could convince Kakashi to join her? She shook herself mentally before that train of thought could leave the station. Better to just leave him be for now, surely? He had said they were ok but she didn’t want to push her luck.

Another shriek of laughter from Shizune pulled her attention away from her sensei and back to the pair frolicking in the crystal waters. Sakura noted appreciatively how Genma’s arms flexed as he hoisted Shizune up again. Both men had borrowed shorts from someone, but whereas Kakashi had kept his vest - and thus mask - on, the slightly older shinobi was showing off his rather well-defined chest and abs. Hey, Sakura was a woman after all, there was no harm in admiring a nicely toned man.

“I’m a little jealous,” came an admission from beside her. Sakura glanced over to see Tamari had sat up. “He’s pretty gorgeous, even if he can be a bit…” She trailed off with a wave of her hand.

“Genma-esq?” Sakura suggested with a chuckle.

“Precisely,” Temari grinned.

Sakura found herself glancing in Kakashi’s direction before she could stop herself. Naturally he looked up again, but this time he waved.

“Seriously,” Temari groaned, “what is wrong with him?”

Sakura turned back to her friend, slightly puzzled. “What?”

Temari squinted over at her sensei then shook her head. “Does he think the unveiling of his face is that big of a deal? He could take the shirt off and go for a swim, no one here is really going to care.”

“Oh,” Sakura picked absent-mindedly at the string holding her bikini briefs in place. “It’s just who he is, I guess,” she said with a shrug. She was no longer sure about her choice of swimwear. Temari had presented her with a few options and in a strange twist of personality, rather than choosing a much more practical two-piece with sturdy, thick straps and a cute wrap around skirt to match, Sakura had chosen a dark red number that literally had to be tied in a knot either side of her hips. One quick tug from some jerk running by and the whole thing would be undone. It hadn’t dawned on her what had possessed her to make such a choice until she ran into Kakashi. His dilated pupil and the thrill that coursed through her was all the confirmation she needed and immediately she had silently rebuked herself for acting like a petty teenager. Well, she was paying for her choice with discomfort now.

“It’s not going to come undone,” Temari sighed with a roll of her eyes. She had said the same thing several times throughout the morning and though Sakura assumed the woman who owned it would know better than she did, it was still making her feel awkward. Realising the only time it hadn’t really bothered her had been when she was in the water, Sakura stood up with a stretch.

“Heading back in?” Temari asked with a grin.

“Yep,” Sakura replied.

“Remember, you can lose your footing quite easily in there. Perfect excuse to cop a feel of that one,” she nodded her head over at Genma and Sakura snorted with mirth.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Kakashi shuffled again and instantly regretted it as the hammock wobbled dangerously. How civilians managed to stay balanced in these things he would never know. Perhaps everyone had the tiniest amount of chakra that was awoken when using these ridiculous canvases of death. Or maybe he was just trying to distract himself from the fact that the incredibly long-legged kunoichi he had been watching out of the corner of his eye all morning had stood up and was stretching those toned arms high over her head, rocking up onto her toes in the process as if languidly displaying every inch of her skin was her only purpose in life. Kakashi had long given up on reading. Any tiny hope he had about her perhaps not being as attractive as he thought under her clothes had been belted from his mind that morning. He always knew the majority of her height came from her legs but seeing them completely bare had turned him into a dribbling mess. Her lower legs and arms were slightly more tanned than the rest of her, but that was to be expected really. Her stomach held the evidence of a usually intense fitness regime, but amusingly, there was the tiniest little belly poking out. Barely there, really, but enough to let him know she was probably enjoying her food and alcohol more than her exercise lately. He grinned. There was nothing wrong with that at all, actually, it made her seem more feminine and he thought it suited her. He admired it more than the clear muscle definition of Gaara’s sister who was lying next to her. Not that she wasn’t attractive either, she just wasn’t Sakura.

Kakashi sat up suddenly. Far too quickly than anyone should move in a hammock. Before he could steady himself, the hammock unmercifully twisted and dumped him in a heap on the ground. Several nearby chuckles were cut off immediately when Kakashi glared in the direction of the sound.

What did he mean, she wasn’t Sakura? Of course she wasn’t, nobody was, but why did he have the horrible feeling that innocent thought had held more implication than he cared to review. To make matters worse, why the hell was he turning into a clumsy idiot as of late? He scowled at the hammock, deciding it obviously wasn’t his fault. Dragging himself to his feet and brushing over the borrowed shorts, he knelt to pick up his book, only to find himself staring at two reasonably sized mounds of flesh threatening to spill out of their tight, red confines.

Apparently, Sakura had decided to be a gem and pick his book up for him. Realising standing their frozen was hardly appropriate, he drew his gaze upwards and looked into those familiar green eyes instead.

“Sakura-san,” he said evenly, commending himself on his casualness.

“I, uh…” She blinked and stood up, holding his book out to him. He took it and flicked it open instantly. Staring at the pages seemed like the less dangerous option.

“Did you really just fall out of a hammock?” He could hear the smirk that would no doubt be evident on her lips.

“There was a bee,” he said without pause.

“So..?”

He sighed and snapped the book shut.

“Did you come over here to laugh at me?” He asked her grinning face. She shook her head, but the smile never faded.

“Actually I came to see if you were alright and if you were going to actually get in and enjoy the water?”

Kakashi spared a moment to watch Genma and Shizune. He could admit that a small part of him thought it did look fun. But Kakashi rarely did fun. To be honest he had run and hid in the hammock all morning to avoid the water. If Sakura was in there the same time he was, water droplets glistening on that smooth skin of hers, he would probably lose wat little self-control he had left.

He looked down at Sakura, who had followed his stare and was gazing at the couple thoughtfully. Did she expect that of him? He sort of hoped not. As far as he knew, he had gotten further with Sakura than Genma had with Shizune and he thought the two were going a little overboard with their public display of merriment.

He shrugged. “I’d rather just dip my feet in, I suppose.” It did look nice and he was getting pretty hot now that he had been dumped from his shady spot.

She smiled up at him and beckoned him forward, turning to march off in the direction of the waterfall. He glanced around helplessly, half hoping someone would run up to him with an emergency summons or something, but no. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her company, he just wasn’t sure he could handle her wearing so little. He knew the moment Gaara had suggested swimming that he was going to see her in less than he was accustomed to, but this was just unfair. The swimsuit she had borrowed gave no permeable as to what would happen if he was to just reach out and pull on one of those strings that swung tauntingly back and forth as she walked. Worse still, the colour was… perfect.

He gave a tiny groan and followed her like a man condemned.

She actually led him under an overhang of rock that the water spilled over and though he could still hear children laughing and shouting and would be splashed occasionally by one jumping into the lake, it was secluded enough that he felt equal parts comfort and terror.

Kami-sama knows what he would do if left alone with this woman for too long while she was wearing something that could so easily be ripped right off her perky little body.

Hmm, he wondered when he had stopped referring to her as a girl…

Drinking in the sight of her hips as she sashayed along the rock to make room for him, there was no mistaking her for a child anymore.

“There you go,” she said happily, swinging her legs off the end and letting her feet trail in the water.

Kakashi followed suit and did the same, sighing happily as the cool water enveloped his toes.

“Perfect,” he smiled.

______________________________________________________________

Sakura stood outside the restaurant, dumbfounded.

The afternoon had been ridiculously pleasant and relaxing. She had sat with Kakashi for over an hour, chatting lightly about others in the village. After he asked how Shikamaru and Ino were doing, it dawned on her that he was just as big a gossip as she was. Admittedly he hid it a lot better. Maybe gossip wasn’t the right word as she doubted very much he was going to talk to anyone else about it. To say he was nosey was probably more accurate. It kind of amused her. He had this reputation of being closed off and withdrawn; one that he most definitely accentuated, yet he was interested in people even if he outwardly pretended otherwise.

Early in the afternoon, Gaara organised a small picnic for them, including various flavours of ice cream. Sakura had moaned happily as she tasted each one. There was a slightly embarrassing moment when Kakashi offered her a taste of his, placing the spoon within inches of her lips and leaving no doubt she wasn’t expected to take the spoon from him. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she had to avert her eyes as she accepted it, unable to look at him, she caught a questioning look from Shizune. Shrugging, Sakura had let it slide from her mind. Besides, given how close her older friend had been sitting next to Genma, if anyone should be asking questions Sakura felt it was her. She had no idea what was going on there.

The afternoon had worn on lazily and eventually Kakashi had lain down with his book open again. Sakura had taken the hint and left him be, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Lying down next to him had been quite peaceful. She still couldn’t quite shake that kiss though. Neither of them had mentioned it and things didn’t seem awkward between them, but every now and then, Sakura found her thoughts drifting back to it. Frighteningly, she was no longer feeling disturbed by the memory, but more… captivated. She was almost annoyed that her interest had been piqued by that one simple touch of his lips. Surely she wasn’t that desperate for male attention? The way it had felt though… Sakura couldn’t shake the feeling that it was the miniscule tip of an indescribably huge iceberg just lying dormant beneath the glassy surface.

And that was a dangerous thought to be having.

The idea that it was on the table being offered, that if she pushed, she could have the chance to drag that damn iceberg all the way out of the ocean, was so tempting…

But no, surely something that serious could never really happen between them. Kakashi may be into flings but she sure wasn’t. Well, she hadn’t thought she was. It was impossible to think straight. She thought she knew what she wanted but in reality, did she really know what having it meant? Her thoughts had continued to chase themselves around her head until she fell blissfully asleep in the warm summer air.

Upon waking, she found herself alone with Kakashi who had also succumbed to the tranquil atmosphere and dozed off with his book over his face. As she stretched out her muscles and noticed the sun sinking fast in the sky, Sakura had realised she probably slept for far longer than she had needed, but given they had decided to travel home at night due to the heat, it wasn’t that much of an issue. When she had removed Kakashi’s book with the idea of waking him, she had found herself staring at his visible eyelid. His expression was slack and his breathing slow. For some reason, she had expected him to wake instantly as he was always on alert, but he had allowed himself to truly relax. He looked so soft and vulnerable, Sakura had to bite back the smile. She brushed an unruly silver strand away from his face before gently shaking him awake.

“Hey, Sensei,” she said softly, watching him blink blearily up at her. She noticed the moment he realised who he was looking at as his eye creased merrily up at her.

After sitting together quietly for another fifteen minutes, Kakashi had suggested dinner. Eager to try a new restaurant Shizune had told her about, Sakura had agreed to meet him there after a quick shower and change of clothes. Knowing that they would be leaving shortly afterwards, she had donned her usually shorts and shirt and spent the following forty minutes standing outside waiting for him. She watched a few couples and families enter, noting she was probably underdressed but not really caring. It wasn’t like she was on a date and Kakashi certainly wouldn’t notice even if she did have something else to wear. 

She had been surprised he had shown up in under an hour and they had an amazing meal. She would have to praise Shizune on letting her know about this little gem. The food was incredible and as Sakura had brought a bit of extra money with her, she didn’t feel guilty on splurging. She even had the foresight to bring extra to cover Kakashi. Unbelievingly, however, when she had asked the waiter for the cheque, he had stared at her confused for several seconds before explaining to her that it had already been covered. She had stared at Kakashi until he grinned, got up and walked out.

Sakura wasn’t sure how she had managed to convince herself to get up and follow, which was one of the many reasons she was now standing on the dusty, sun beaten road staring perplexed after the head of the older jonin.

Hatake Kakashi had just paid for a meal. If that wasn’t ridiculously inconceivable, he had also paid for hers! What the hell was going on?

_________________________________________

Kakashi glanced back at his bewildered teammate and chuckled. To say she looked adorable when confused would be an understatement. If he was honest, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure why he had done it. Hadn’t he decided a while ago that paying for her meal would just be downright suspicious? Then again, he had kissed her, so the majority of pretence was gone now. Sort of. He assumed it had more to do with the day. Once he had realised he could act relatively normal as long as he wasn’t looking at her to closely, he had actually enjoyed himself. It had been a long time since he had felt so at ease and this was definitely going to be one of his favourite memories to visit when she no longer spoke to him…

He shook himself and refused to feel down. He didn’t want to ruin the mood. Instead he stuffed his hands in his pockets and grinned, waiting for her to catch up.

“Di-did you… Did you just…” She seemed to be having difficulty forming a sentence and Kakashi couldn’t help the quiet laugh that escaped him.

“Come on, let’s go and say our goodbyes.”

He led her to the Kazekage’s room without word, and after they had both thanked him and bid him farewell, he sauntered off towards the gate, Sakura following, still apparently in a state of shock.

On arriving, Kakashi hailed Genma who quickly explained that he was leaving with them. He looked slightly panicked and Kakashi was instantly suspicious.

Sakura decided to choose that moment to get over her confusion and turned her attention to his flustered friend.

“What happened to you?”

Genma’s eyes darted towards her and then over to the gate.

“Nothing,” he said quickly, “let’s get going, shall we?” He turned his most award-winning smile on and much to Kakashi’s pleasure, Sakura folded her arms and stared him down, clearly unimpressed. Genma’s smile faltered and Kakashi cleared his throat quietly.

Sakura gave him a quizzical look, but took the hint.

“Fine,” she sighed, “I’m going to go and say a quick goodbye to Shizune.”

She spun on her heel and started off back up the street. Kakashi couldn’t help himself.

“Don’t be late,” he called after her.

The look he received was downright murderous.

With a little guffaw, he turned back to Genma, who had removed his headband and was scratching at his hair. His friend’s eyes caught his and Kakashi simply raised an eyebrow in question. With a sigh that quickly turned into a frustrated moan, Genma sank to the dirty floor, head in his hands.

“Fucked up, huh?” Kakashi asked jovially. It wasn’t exactly a kind comment, but given Kakashi had actually had a carefree day, he was almost relieved someone else was miserable for once.

“You don’t have to sound so bloody happy about it,” Genma muttered, pulling out his senbon from somewhere and sticking it between his teeth.

“Come now,” Kakashi sat himself next to his friend, “tell Kakashi-sensei all about it.”

Genma glared at him for a few seconds before his shoulders slumped and he dropped his arms to his sides, looking utterly defeated.

“We had an amazing day,” he raged suddenly, “we splashed about in the water, ate great food, had dinner, drank… it seemed like the perfect way to end it…”

Kakashi gawked at him. Had he really..?

“She was so pissed off just now and I don’t get it.”

“….What did you do?”

Genma threw him a disgusted look. “Why do you assume this is my fault?”

Kakashi thought it wise not to answer, so just continued to stare into the brown eyes of his friend. When Genma frowned, tiny lines appeared in the corners, which worried Kakashi immensely. He was only a few years younger. He prayed to Kami-sama that his wrinkles were still ages away. He wasn’t quite ready to admit to being that old just yet.

Eventually Genma sighed. “She caved. We had sex. It was fucking amazing.”

Kakashi shifted, slightly uncomfortable with the dewy-eyed look Genma had suddenly adopted.

“So, why is she pissed? Could you not last, or..?”

Genma’s fist connected with Kakashi’s bicep. In truth, it would have been easy enough to deflect but he had sort of deserved it. There really was no need to kick the guy while he was down, however amusing it might be.

“Sorry,” Kakashi mumbled, rubbing his arm.

“She got really mad about the bloody roses. Seems a stupid thing to get that upset about, really.”

Ah… Kakashi wondered whether it would be worth teaching his comrade a thing or two about the language of flowers, but really, that couldn’t have been the only reason. They sat together in silence for a while, until that familiar chakra prickled over his senses and he glanced up to see an obviously irate Sakura.

She was glaring down at Genma, who appeared hopeful. Perhaps he thought Sakura was going to share some insider information that Shizune had told her to help him gain some insight. Obviously Genma knew very little about this woman.

“Baka,” she spat at him, before turning around and marching from the village.

Genma turned his miserable head to Kakashi. “Your girlfriend is mean,” he moaned, before dragging himself to his feet and following her out.

“Yep,” Kakashi agreed with a smile.

They flew across the sandy dunes and it was exhilarating. Yes, the heat was still horrid, but Kakashi could cope for now. They were racing for the border as if enemies were snapping at their heals, but in reality, they all wanted the shelter of the forest before the sun rose.

They stopped a few times but for barely more than fifteen minutes and mostly so that Genma could catch his breath. The third time they stopped, Sakura had tutted loudly and glared at him, tapping her foot impatiently.

“Seriously,” he groaned, “are you two mechanical?”

“Some ninja you are,” Sakura scoffed.

“Forgive me for being a human being,” he retorted.

Kakashi just rolled his eyes.

“How long are we going to rest for this time, seeeennnpai?” He deliberately dragged it out, knowing it would infuriate Genma.

“Right, fine – let’s go.” Genma got up and stretched out his calf muscle. “I swear though, you will be listening to me whinge the whole way because you’re both getting on my nerves.”

“We’re getting on your nerves?!” Sakura was outraged.

Kakashi placed his hand gently on her shoulder as a small reminder that it would be much harder to carry their unconscious comrade through this nightmare of a desert. He could feel her vibrating with annoyance and he had to disguise the small chortling sound that escaped with a cough. Sakura’s glance towards him told him clearly she was well aware he was finding the whole situation highly humorous and that she wasn’t impressed.

Her eyes suddenly widened and a devilish grin formed. Kakashi removed his hand, suddenly concerned for the wellbeing of himself and his male teammate. That expression meant nothing good, surely…

“Genma-san,” she sang sweetly, and even Genma looked worried.

“Yeah..?”

“How about we make a little deal.” She sidled up to him and Kakashi couldn’t help but noticed a little extra sway to her step than usual. His eyes narrowed. What exactly was she up to? His eyes flicked to Genma and he could tell the man appreciated the view. Kakashi folded his arms across his chest and watched the scene in front of him play out, unsure of whether he should get involved.

“If you promise not to utter a single word of complaint between now and when we make camp near the border of Fire country, I will not only make sure to sleep in my undershirt, but I’ll let you put your bed roll right next to mine…”

Genma, who had been spluttering and protesting that they were travelling all the way to the Fire border before making camp, suddenly fell silent, gaping at her. If Kakashi hadn’t been wearing a mask, the world would have seen his mouth hanging open too. What on earth was she playing at all of a sudden?

“I, um…” Genma scratched his head, clearly unsure what the safest answer was. “Ok…” he said slowly. Upon glancing over towards Kakashi, a malicious grin graced his features and The Copy Nin narrowed his eyes in response. He knew what was coming.

Genma threw an arm around Sakura and began walking her in Kakashi’s direction.

“Well, Pinky, if you are so keen to be close to me, you know we can just skip the preliminaries…”

Sakura deftly danced out of his reach, twirling slightly and flashing him a smile.

“I’ve given you the terms, now let’s see if you can cope.”

She turned away from both men and tied her hair up in a spiky ponytail. She stretched her arms out to the sides, rotating her wrists slowly. With a content sigh, she raced across the sand, leaving the men staring after her.

“Guess she’s more into me than you after all,” Genma quipped.

“She was furious at you several hours ago,” Kakashi pointed out.

The older man just shrugged with that damn grin still plastered on his face.

“What can I say? The ladies love me.”

He clapped Kakashi on the shoulder before running after Sakura. He watched the two of them for a moment before following. He had no idea why, but he was determined to make sure that Genma failed. Thankfully, he knew it wouldn’t be long before the man had the urge to complain again. Kakashi decided to help him along.

With a spurt of speed aided by chakra, he easily overtook Genma and fell in step beside Sakura.

“Well, considering you wanted to make camp at the border, you’re moving awfully slow,” he noted, before speeding past.

“What?” She hissed, upping her pace to match his. As soon as she was beside him again, he sped up slightly. He realised over the course of the night he would start to flag at this pace. Fortunately though, he would outlast Genma and that’s all he needed.

He only had to wait an hour before the man’s voice echoed across the night.

“Uh, moving kind of fast, aren’t we?”

“Why Genma-san,” Sakura called back sweetly, “are you complaining?”

“No, no,” Genma shouted quickly, “just an observation.”

Kakashi smirked beneath the tight material. That man was getting his bed nowhere near Sakura. He honestly wasn’t sure why it was bothering him this much. It’s not like anything would really happen between them. Sakura knew about Shizune and he knew the kunoichi well enough to know she wasn’t trying to start anything serious. He assumed Sakura knew Genma would crack before they made camp but was just trying to prolong the inevitable in exchange for a few hours peace. It didn’t matter, Kakashi was going to guarantee Genma’s failure because as clever as Sakura thought she was being, she was obviously underestimating the older shinobi’s ability to be a lecherous debaucher.

To Kakashi’s surprise, Genma lasted longer than he had expected. Given the smirk he shot Kakashi whenever he glanced back, he felt that the bastard only wanted to go through with this just to piss him off. Unsurprising, really.

As trees began to sprout up into forests around them, Kakashi began to worry. They definitely weren’t far now. Time to take matters into his own hands.

He leapt gracefully into the trees and much to his delight, Genma followed suit. After a few seconds, Sakura raced up the nearest trunk and took off again, determined to stay in the lead. Kakashi wasn’t phased if she beat him to the border, he had bigger fish to fry.

He began taking the easiest path through the trees, ensuring the branches he landed on were free and clear. Naturally, Genma followed him step for step. A smug smile curved Kakashi’s lips and upon pushing off from the next branch, he made sure to send a back surge of powerful chakra from his foot into the wood. There was a small snap, but Genma had already left his previous branch and was unable to change direction in mid-air.

The second his foot connected with the branch, a cacophonous crack split the night air. Shinobi and tree branch fell to the forest floor with a dull thud.

The buzzing of the insects that had been droning relentlessly since they hit the trees stopped instantly. Which was ok, because it made the beautiful sound of Genma’s voice all the clearer.

“Fuck! What the hell happened? Stupid trees, seriously if we had just camped like two hours ago this would never have fucking happened. Shit this hurts… You two are ridiculous why the hell are you moving so bloody fast anyway?!”

Kakashi dropped from the tree’s to land gracefully beside his friend. Genma looked at him briefly before turning attention back to his injured arm. It was barely a scratch, Kakashi was fairly confident the baby would survive. Obviously, something about the look on his face had given him away, because Genma did a double take and glared into his eye. Kakashi was a master of the blank face, but given the suspicious look his friend was sporting, it wasn’t enough.

“You bastard,” Genma whispered as Sakura dropped down beside them.

“I do believe, Genma-san, that those were your dulcet tones complaining loud enough to wake the dead.”

Genma swore loudly and used the fallen tree branch to push himself back to his feet. He was still clutching his arm.  
“Sakura, do you mind helping me out?” He held it out to her piteously.

She barely spared it a glance and just turned and walked away.

“It’s a scratch. If two year olds can handle it, so can you.”

“Ouch,” Kakashi remarked nonchalantly, following the pink head as it bobbed through the trees.

“This isn’t over,” Genma whispered threateningly.

Kakashi didn’t even bother turning around, choosing instead to give his friend a short wave over his shoulder.

When he caught up to Sakura, she had flipped out her bed roll and was rummaging through her pack. Genma stumbled upon the camp a few seconds later and slumped to the floor with a sigh.

“Finally,” he groaned.

Kakashi took out his own bed and unfurled it a little closer to Sakura’s than he normally would have. She either didn’t notice or chose not to remark, instead handing him some food she had packed that evening. She tossed some over to Genma, who looked absolutely gleeful and began wolfing it down instantly.

Kakashi settled back against the trunk of a tree and watched Sakura out of the corner of his eye. While eating, she pulled the Icha Icha draft out of her pack and lay it out beside her on the bed. She had grabbed a pencil from somewhere and had apparently decided to do a little editing before going to sleep. He watched her as he slowly ate his food. He wasn’t worried about either of them seeing his face as they were both too engrossed in their food. She had scratched out at least two paragraphs by the time he finished eating and he was growing curious.

He glanced up at the slowly lightening sky and wondered how she could possibly see enough to read and write yet. Not having his trusty book in his hands all night had dampened the joy of the journey somewhat and he was looking forward to seeing the sun rise.

Until that happened, however, maybe he would just have to be content with an update of the latest Icha story. He pulled his mask back up and rummaged in his pack until he found a pen then tapped Sakura’s shoulder lightly. Pointing to the draft in answer to her questioning look, she sighed as she handed it over. He noticed the way her eyes drifted to his empty bowl and grinned as they rolled skywards.

As he shifted against the tree to make himself more comfortable he noticed that Sakura appeared to be extra fidgety. He glanced over and saw her staring at the pages in his hand, gently biting her bottom lip. She was obviously concerned about whatever she had written but Kakashi had found himself quite interested all of a sudden.

After a quick scan, he soon realised that this was more of a collection of ideas and possible plot devices which quickly turned to Sakura having a disjointed conversation with herself.

'Someone should screw up at some point. There needs to be some kind of tension for the characters to overcome to keep it more interesting. Should it be a big screw up of just some stupid offside comment like that idiot Genma? If I want some drama it should be something big. Maybe she should trust him with something and he breaks it somehow. It wouldn’t be uncommon for a man to break a woman’s trust really, would it?' – Kakashi sighed heavily – 'So, he does something stupid. Should it be before or after they have sex? Probably after, I mean, Genma was a dumbass but if I’m honest Shizune is probably overreacting slightly because they had just done it…

Ok, so after is worse, but after what exactly? I don’t know whether I’m happy she calmed down enough to share a few of the finer details or just more horrified' – Kakashi shot her a look and noticed she was blushing slightly, but his curiosity was definitely kindled now – 'I mean, it sounds intriguing enough but surely it would just be really awkward to have some guys head between your legs, especially if you had his dick in your m'- Kakashi choked.

Apparently his mouth had gone incredibly dry and trying to swallow had induced a small coughing fit. He dropped the pages and reached for his water bottle. Genma had shot him a curious look from across their little camp but Kakashi found he couldn’t look his friend in the eye. He had just learnt far too much about Genma’s sex life and if that wasn’t enough Sakura thought it sounded… intriguing…

He calmed himself down and risked a glance at the pink-haired kunoichi sitting next to him. Her legs were drawn up to her chest and she was hugging them tightly, resting her forehead on her knees. Kakashi noticed the unmistakable blush creeping up her neck.

When he was sure he was composed enough, he stretched his legs out casually and picked the papers up again. He had decided he was done reading through the author’s notes and flipped the page over to scribble on the back.

They had drawn a metaphorical line in the sand since that kiss and thus far, each had respectfully stayed on their sides, however, Kakashi was about to go barrelling over it. His logical side agreed that for the sake of the mission, he had no choice but to push things along. He knew better than to lie to himself though. He wanted to push. He wanted to push that pretty pink head down to his belt and have her tear it off with her teeth…

Instead, he settled for taunting the hell out of her for his amusement.

_____________________________________________________

She watched with growing trepidation as he scribbled something enthusiastically. The moment he turned to give it her and their eyes locked, Sakura knew she wasn’t going to be able to handle whatever poetry he had wrote down. There was an edge of… something to the humour swimming through his dark eye and she took the paper with a slight tremble to her hand.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, she took the plunge and glanced at his gracefully curved handwriting.

'Well, if you need some help writing such a delightful scene, I will be more than happy to provide you with some inspiration.'

Sakura’s heart stopped.

She couldn’t bring herself to be mortified at the words of the pervert, or scrunch the paper into a ball and throw it at his head, because upon reading it, a very strange reaction had curled itself through lower parts of her body.

Her tongue darted out over her lips of its own accord and Sakura hit the pause button on her life. She needed to react to this. Technically, she needed to be disgusted with his blasé innuendo, but she couldn’t do it. Her sensei was hitting on her and she wanted flirt back. Surely that was depraved?

Ex-sensei… Inner-Sakura whispered.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and tried to think straight. This couldn’t be real. Honestly, if that kiss the other day hadn’t have happened, if he hadn’t bizarrely paid for her meal earlier, she wouldn’t have thought she had accrued enough luck in her lifetime for a man like Kakashi to find her attractive.

Apparently there was interest though. She hadn’t really needed this ‘offer’ of help from him to realise it though. She had been spending much of her time convincing herself that her attraction to the much older man was one sided, even after he had kissed her she kept trying to find a reason for it other than he maybe wanted her too.

The big question now was how to reply…

“Uh, you ok there, Pinky?”

Sakura’s eyes snapped open and she stared intently at Genma. He was looking at her with a mixture of confusion and concern.

“Yes,” she muttered, “just thinking.”

Finally, she made her decision. If Kakashi was game, she wasn’t backing down. Though she still wasn’t able to turn and look at him.

'Really? If that kiss was something to go by I don’t know if I’d want your tongue in other places.'

She was of course, lying, but he didn’t have to know that.

'Interesting, given that you were an aroused mess without me actually using my tongue.'

Apparently he knew anyway.

'It’s probably been so long for you that you don’t know what an aroused woman is supposed to look like anymore. That’s ok, I forgive you.'

She smirked slightly as she watched his eyebrow raise as he read her response. He seemed to consider her words for half a minute before scribbling something else down and passing it back to her.

'Strange coming from the virgin – have you ever actually seen an aroused male?'

She bit back the indignant cry that threatened to spill from her mouth and scribbled furiously. She realised Kakashi had moved closer to her at some point and as his thigh bumped against hers, she accidently jolted her pencil, leaving a small line cascading up through her words. Deciding it wasn’t worth finding an eraser and starting again, she shoved it into his hand.

'Yes actually! Being a virgin doesn’t mean I don’t know a thing or two about getting a man erect, asshole!'

His response was lightning fast. She barely saw the pen touch the paper before it was thrust back into her waiting hands.

'Such as?'

She paused. Perhaps this was getting out of hand… Genma had been staring between the pair of them for the past few minutes, eyes narrowed suspiciously. She didn’t doubt that he might spring up and try to steal the paper at some point. Plus, she really didn’t feel like explaining her few sexual exploits to the man that had basically babysat her through her Sasuke obsession. The heat passing from his leg into hers was almost too much. It made the rest of her body seem cold in comparison which seemed ridiculous given how the heat of the day was beginning to rise with the steadily ascending sun.

She turned to eloquently tell him where he could get off, but the look in his eye… He was challenging her to reply…

Her hand shook slightly as she wrote and she could feel her cheeks burning under his gaze, but her nerve was holding so far.

Being a medic has its advantages. For example, being aware of nerve clusters and such helps me know exactly where to touch a man.

To her dismay, he just scoffed and jotted something down before tossing it back at her, a bored expression on his face.

Too vague, any woman can figure that out.

Sakura sighed. She supposed she should have known someone whose favourite past time was reading porn would want something a little more detailed. She was losing. Her eyes narrowed determinedly. She’d show him.

She spent just under a minute writing down a paragraph and realised when she finished that she could probably use some of it as inspiration for the story. Cringing slightly, she held it out to him. He snatched it away so quickly she was surprised she still had her fingers.

She watched his face hungrily for some indicator of his reaction. She saw the moment his eye widened and judging by the way the material of his mask shifted, his mouth had opened too. Gods how she wished she could see those parted lips…

His head turned slowly and he regarded her with an emotion that was too heavy for Sakura to bare. She had a feeling she knew what it was, but no man, not even the one she had been describing in her short story for him, had ever looked at her quite like that. It was terrifying and tantalising…

“Ok, what the hell is going on?” Genma’s question snapped the two of them out of whatever was happening and they both fixed the shinobi with what they hoped were unreadable stares.

“Nothing,” Kakashi’s voices sounded deeper and more gruff than usual and Sakura had to swallow in an attempt to rehydrate her throat enough to form words.

“Nothing,” she squeaked, sounding about an octave higher. She winced slightly and attempted to quietly clear her throat.

“Riiiight,” came Genma’s scathing reply and he snickered wickedly. “Shall I wander off on a patrol for a little while so you two can spend some time together?”

That was it for Sakura, her daring attitude broke and she promptly snatched the paper back from Kakashi, stuffed it in her pack then rolled onto her side, eyes shut.

“Night,” she grumbled. Why the hell had she decided to enlighten him about one of her more oral exploits she had no idea. Unfortunately, the thought of doing it to him would not leave her head and she had to seriously concentrate to get rid of the pleasant sensation that was building inside of her as she imagined it.

She felt Kakashi moving beside her and realised too late that she should have moved her bed roll further from his. It was too late now though. Instead she just pretended he didn’t exist, praying to whoever would listen that she didn’t have another dream.

A/N - Sorry that took a while guys! I got distracted with Mind over Matter and some other projects but I hope you enjoyed this! Sorry if its mostly fluffing around at the moment; the shit, as they say, is about to hit the fan next chapter so stay tuned lol. It'll probably be a little while bfore the next one is up due to Christmas and what not sorry but I'll keep everyone up to date via my facbook page (just search The Silver Scarecrow) As always, any thoughts will be most welcome :)  
I also apologise for the doing the writing scene 'like this' as for reasons beyond my technical abilities, I can't get the italics to work... oh well, you get the gist, just hope it wasn't too annoying to read!  
Have a magical Christmas everyone!  
TSS


	13. Chapter 13 - Being a kunoichi

**A/N –** Ok, this chapter was quite difficult for me to write. I’ve re-read it and reworded things so many times now; I just hope it makes sense for you all! If there is anything in particular I haven’t explained properly or in general if you have any suggestions on how to make this better, please let me know – I can always update it!

Facebook – The Silver Scarecrow

Cheers, TSS

**Chapter 13 – Being a kunoichi**

Shizune slammed the beaker down with more force than intended, but thankfully it stayed in one piece.

“Uh, are you sure everything is ok?”

It was at least the third or fourth time Kankuro had asked her that question since he had arrived over an hour ago and as much as he was getting on her nerves, she knew he wasn’t the one to blame. She just smiled her reassurance and went back to the charts spread out in front of her. The majority of Sand shinobi the Kazekage had recommended seemed plausible on paper and their village’s greatest puppet user had brought all the candidates to her for interviews. They all appeared capable and eager to learn, which meant she had affectively just hired twenty fresh medics for Suna. She would spend a few weeks training them up then head back to Konoha and… _him_.

She accidently scrunched up one of the papers and tried to take a deep, calming breath. Occasionally, she would think back on it more rationally and realise that perhaps Genma had meant it as an offhand comment that was just poorly timed. They had just slept together and he had always made jokes at inappropriate times… she probably had overreacted somewhat.

_Oh, is that what they meant? Well, I guess they got the point across._

She shook her head in the hopes that his stupid grinning face would fall out of it. Should she have known better though, really? This is what Genma did; who he was. It hurt her to think she was just another in a long line for him, especially considering they had been friends for quite some time. At least, she thought they had. It didn’t matter, she was getting to old to simply fool around with men now if she was serious about possibly having a family one day. Genma would never give her that and she had been idiotic to think for even the briefest of moments that maybe he could. She’d just been stupid. Swept up in the romance of the day which had apparently just been a means to an end.

She gave a heavy sigh. She knew this was hurting more because a small, very miniscule part of her had always found Genma attractive. She’d never admit it to anyone of course, but he made her laugh and looked out for her enough that he began to get under her skin. She would entertain the thought every now and then but would have never acted on it… until yesterday. Something had felt different… but no, she had just been foolish and that was that. When she returned to the Leaf, she was going to concentrate on finding a kind, decent man to settle down with.

* * *

 

Kakashi rubbed his tired eyes and stared up at his bedroom ceiling. He felt like he hadn’t slept in weeks. After arriving back at the village yesterday, he had hoped to get away from Sakura for at least a few hours. He had to practise pulling away. If Genma was right (which was a sad thought all on its own) and he really was going to miss her when all this ended, then Kakashi was going to have to condition himself to being away from her. Barely half an hour had passed before she found him again, however, and they had spent most of the day going over her research into the four-pronged weapons. Apparently she had spoken to Tsunade about them and their beloved Hokage had suggested she find her old sensei and brainstorm ideas. Kakashi wasn’t fooled though. Sure, he may be intelligent and Sakura had been quite excited about his idea to somehow take the kunai apart during surgery while it was still in the victim, but Tsunade was simply forcing them together again, hoping he would take that final step. Thankfully, she was quite professional and he was a little surprised that the two of them being locked in her apartment most of the day hadn’t resulted in at least a few heated comments, particularly after their recent written exchange. She had said nothing about it though and he just took his cue from her. He assumed she was just determined to learn everything she could about those weapons, which could only be a good thing. This is what he reminded himself after he got home last night feeling slightly disappointed. Wasn’t he supposed to be pulling away? With a groan, Kakashi threw back the covers and groped around for his pants.

After a quick breakfast, he decided to go for a walk. He ignored most people as they called out to him, but a rather frantic voice caught his attention and he turned to see Iruka running towards him.

“Kakashi! I need help!”

He tucked his book safely in his pouch before stuffing his hands in his pockets and arranging his features to look thoroughly bored.

“Nope.”

Iruka skidded to a halt and focused on breathing for a few moments before glaring at him accusingly.

“You don’t even know what I’m going to ask!”

“Iruka,” Kakashi began flatly, “you’re the academy teacher. Any favour you have to ask is to do with little brats I have no interest in putting up with”

Iruka grinned at him. “You’re not wrong, but I’m actually just wondering if you know where Sakura is, what with – yunno…”

As he trailed off, Kakashi raised a slender eyebrow.

“No, actually. Why?”

Iruka groaned. “She promised to help me out with something a few weeks ago and I think she’s forgot. She was supposed to be at the training grounds an hour ago to run through the plan with me but she never showed up and it’s not really like her to be late.” He eyed Kakashi suspiciously before continuing. “Though of course, hanging around with you probably hasn’t helped her punctuality.”

“I’m hurt,” Kakashi feigned a sigh. “I’ll go find her.”

“Great, can you give her this?” Iruka thrust an A4 pink binder into Kakashi’s hands before he had a chance to protest. “Its notes on things the teachers from previous years have done. I thought she might find it helpful.”

“Ok,” Kakashi replied, flipping the binder open nosily. A rather interesting diagram greeted his eyes.

“Thanks,” Iruka called out, running back in the direction he came.

Kakashi couldn’t help the small bubble of laughter from escaping his lips. He hadn’t thought teaching was something Sakura had given any serious thought over, but perhaps he had been wrong. It was an interesting place for her to start. Suddenly hanging round with a group of pre-genin kids seemed like the most fun he’d had in weeks.

* * *

 

When Kakashi found her, Sakura had been enjoying breakfast at her usual teahouse while half listening to Ten Ten whine about Neji. “Honestly, is it so hard to just accept that we’re dating? We go out together all the time, we’ve kissed a few times; what’s his deal?”

Sakura shrugged. She knew Ten Ten wasn’t really after advice, just someone to rant to, which was why she wasn’t at all displeased with Kakashi’s appearence.

“Yo,” he gave her his usual eye-crinkling smile and she grinned back at him. She had no idea why but she suddenly felt much happier than a moment ago. Truthfully, any attention he gave her lately seemed to do that to her.

“Kakashi-sensei,” Ten Ten cut Sakura’s hello off before she had a chance to speak. “Please explain to me why men are so blindly stupid when it comes to their feelings.”

“Uh,” Kakashi shifted feet and scratched his head. Deciding to spare him the obvious discomfort of having to answer, Sakura broke into a giggle. Standing up, she looped her arm through his and began to walk away.

“It’ll forever be a mystery,” she called back to her disgruntled friend, who snorted her agreement.

When they were out of ear shot, Sakura realised the physical contact would probably look a little sketchy to anyone who saw them and removed her arm. She couldn’t really explain why she had done it in the first place.

“What’s that?” She decided not to address her strange behaviour and ask him about the incredibly bright pink binder he was carrying under his other arm.

“Oh, right,” he held it out to her. “The reason I came to find you, actually.”

She took it from him curious, and as she opened it, the conversation she had with Iruka several weeks ago came crashing back.

“Oh, crap!”

Snapping the binder shut again, she tucked it under her arm and began to run in the direction of the training grounds. “Thanks, Kakashi,” she turned to wave at him, but slowed to a jog when she realised he was right on her heels. “Um, what are you doing?”

He grinned as he fell into place beside her. “You honestly think I would miss this?”

Sakura groaned loudly. They had to split momentarily as a little group of seniors stepped into the street, but as they came back together again, Sakura whined at him. “You can’t be there for this! The girls need a woman to talk to, not some scary male jounin!”

“Sakura, I could be useful.”

“How?” She asked, cynicism plain in her voice.

“Well, they might be curious about certain things you don’t have answers to.”

She eyed him shiftily as they continued to jog. “Is this because my life is lacking certain…. Events?”

He chuckled his response and Sakura made a swipe for the back of his head with the binder.

“What do you think this is for?” She snapped at him. “If I get stuck I can just refer to the notes in here.” She tapped her life-line of previous teacher’s expertise and ignored the continued guffaws coming from the man beside her.

“If the girls are uncomfortable with me being there, I’ll leave. But honestly, I don’t think you’re in a position to turn down help.”

Sakura actually growled. The incoherent sound seemed to amuse Kakashi all the more and he stepped up the pace as the gate to the training grounds came into sight. Sakura watched him go. She was admittedly a little relieved she wouldn’t be doing this class alone, especially as she had forgotten all about it and not prepared, but she was definitely perplexed at his sudden interest to be there.

He had stopped to wait for her a little away from the small group of 11-13 year-olds sitting in the shade of a large tree. When she caught up to him she stopped.

“So, any particular reason you’re so eager to crash my class?”

“Two actually,” he held up his finger. “One, because as a boy, I was very interested to know how the female equivalent of this class goes. Secondly, I want to see your face when they refer to you as sensei.”

“Why?” She didn’t really feel like that explained anything at all.

He just gave her that patented shrug of his before grinning and making a sweeping ‘after you’ gesture with his arm. She stared at him but began walking towards the group. He was being rather peculiar, even for him. She shook her head a little to try and clear her thoughts. When had this happened? When had they become close enough that he treated her this way? Like they were really good friends. Like he didn’t have to pretend or conceal his happiness… She shot him another questioning glance but he just smiled in response as he followed.

“Hi everyone,” she smiled at the collection of curious and nervous preteens as she approached. She sat down on the grass in front of them and felt Kakashi follow her lead behind her. “Ok, so Iruka-sensei asked me to be here today to talk you through something very important. My name is Sakura, and this is -“

“Kakashi-senpai!” One of the girls squeaked excitedly. Several others attempted to hide their giggles behind their hands.

“Uh, yeah.” Sakura tried very hard not to roll her eyes. Honestly, if he was too old for her then he was definitely ancient compared to them.

“Ohayo, minna,” he held up a hand and smiled, much to the delight of the majority of girls present.

“I told you; you shouldn’t have come,” she mumbled over her shoulder disgruntledly. She was a little peeved he was being so friendly with the eight girls in front of her yet had never shown her genin squad the same cheery attitude when they first met. He of course didn’t reply.

She turned back to the group.

“Did Iruka-sensei tell you what today is about?”

Several of the girls nodded and one put up her hand.

“Yes?” Sakura asked

“I-Is it really about how to make a baby? Because, I-I’m not.. I don’t think…”

“No, no, no,” Sakura interjected quickly. “We’ll sort of look into how that happens, but it’s not like we’re teaching you to do that! Babies should be a far off dream for you girls at this point.”

There was a collective sigh of relief and Sakura shifted uncomfortably. Why the hell had Kakashi decided to tag along? She just knew this would have been a lot easier without him there. More importantly, what had Iruka actually said to these girls to make them think that’s why they were here? Ten Ten was right; men really could be stupid when it came to girls, regardless of the age.

She opened the binder on the grass in front of her and began turning the pages, wondering what a good starting point was. She supposed she would have to show them the diagrams of the male and female reproductive organs at some point. Being a medic, it was probably the easiest part of the forthcoming lesson for her to explain, so she plunged right in.

“Ok, this is what the female reproductive system looks like,” she held up a diagram and saw several of the girls in front of her blink confusedly. Great.

The following fifteen minutes were spent discussing in excruciating detail how the systems worked together to produce a baby before the inevitable happened.

One of the younger girls towards the front put her hand up slowly.

“Um, Sakura-sensei?”

“Yeah?” She felt a strange sensation. Pride, almost. Sakura-sensei… she kind of liked the sound of it…

“If the sperm has to leave the man’s penis and go into the ladies vagina, how does it get there?”

Sakura’s temperature sky-rocketed and she coughed lightly. Kakashi, who had been mostly silent until this point, nudged her elbow lightly.

“Yeah, Sakura-sensei, how does that work?”

“I thought you were here to help?” She hissed over her shoulder. All the girls’ eyes were fixed on her unblinkingly and Sakura knew she was blushing. How could they be so comfortable openly discussing this with the villages greatest pervert right there?! True, they probably weren’t aware of what he was really like, but if there had been a man at the lesson when she had took it all those years ago she would never have asked half the questions she had! Kurenai had been much better at this than she was…

“Well,” she began slowly, wondering how to phrase it. “I suppose the man sort of, puts it in there…”

“Oh,” one of the girls replied. “So when we’re older and we want a baby we just ask a boy to put his penis in our –“

“NO!” Sakura shrieked. They looked at her confused and she rubbed her brow. “I-It’s not that simple…” She turned to stare desperately at Kakashi. The devil was grinning at her so widely, she didn’t have to see his face to know it. “Any input, Kakashi-sensei?” She made sure to add a little menace to her voice so it would be very clear it was in his best interest to contribute. He didn’t say anything straight away and she was so sure for a moment he was going to leave her high and dry, but he scuttled to her side and crossed his legs. He was touching her again and given the current climate, she wasn’t sure she would be able to handle him this close. He reached forward, hand brushing her knee and rifled through the binder for a few seconds. The skin where his hand had touched her burned and she had to swallow a few times. What was he playing at?

Sitting back with a small huff, apparently finding nothing useful in the folder, he glanced at the group of girls before turning his attention fully to her. Slowly, he reached up and delicately brushed a hand along Sakura’s cheek. With a yelp, she jumped back like she’d been electrocuted and several of the young kunoichi laughed.

What the hell was he playing at?! She stared at him dumbfounded but he simply smiled and turned back to the class. “Now, kids, who can tell me what I just did?” He sounded so at ease, like he hadn’t just caressed her cheek in front of a group of impressionable children.

“Stroked Sakura-sensei’s cheek,” one of the girls shouted out.

“Yes,” he replied, but he made it a question, encouraging others to guess.

A few glanced at each other confused.

“You scared her,” one of the girls closest to Sakura called out.

Kakashi chuckled. “So it would seem.”

A girl at the back raised her hand slowly. Kakashi nodded at her and she spoke to her knees. “Did you show Sakura-sensei that you like her?” She asked shyly.

Sakura’s eyes snapped to Kakashi and she saw him smile at the girl.

“Very clever.”

Riotous giggles and whispering broke out among most of the kunoichi. A few of them glared at her rather unpleasantly, which she hardly thought was fair. She, however, was more interested in the small spark of joy that had coursed through her at his words. Had he just said..?

“Kakashi-senpai likes Sakura-sensei!”

Sakura felt like she was drowning in her humiliation. Not only because this was the most embarrassed she had ever been in her life, but what if they told someone? She could hardly expect them to keep that information to themselves. Besides, - she glared daggers at Kakashi – why wasn’t he denying it? He was just sitting there with a smile on his face like a big idiot! Sakura realised she would have to say something before this got out of hand.

“Kakashi-sensei does _not_ like me,” she ground out between clenched teeth before punching him in the shoulder.

“But he said so!”

“No,” Sakura snapped, “he was just trying to show you what it might be like.”

They all settled down and gave her their full attention.

“Sometimes boys might try to touch you to show they like you, but it’s completely up to you whether you want them to or not.”

“Sakura-sensei, is it true that if a boy really likes you, they might make fun of you?”

Sakura sighed and immediately began thinking of all the times Kakashi teased or made fun of her. “Maybe,” she said slowly, “but it should never be in a seriously hurtful way.” She found herself thinking of Sasuke for a moment, but as always whenever the handsome Uchiha felt the need to visit her mind, she let the image go. “More of an irritating way,” she shrugged, not really sure where she was going.

“Kakashi-senpai,” one of the girls turned big, glassy eyes to him. “A boy in my class hits me sometimes – is that because he likes me?”

Sakura turned to regard Kakashi as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Well, its true boys your age aren’t too good at showing their feelings –“

“Just boys her age?” Sakura asked scathingly before she could stop herself. She blushed slightly as he raised a slim silver eyebrow at her.

“I’ve actually found girls tend to hit boys they like,” he remarked.

She felt the heat creeping back into her cheeks.

“Sakura-sensei punched you,” one of the girls shrieked happily, “that means she likes you too, Kakashi-senpai!”

Sakura actually let out a small wail of frustration and buried her face in her hands despairingly.

“Perhaps,” Kakashi said softly. She glared at him. She definitely did not like him at that moment. “Still,” he continued, and he sat up a little straighter, appearing more serious. “It’s never ok to let someone hurt you, whether it’s a boy or another girl. Whether it’s with fists or with words, if what they’re doing upsets you, don’t put up with it, ok? If someone really likes you, they would never do anything to hurt…you…”

The girl gave him a small smile and something inside Sakura’s chest ached. How could he make her so angry one second then feel so… whatever this was the next? He was staring off at something in the distance now, gazing in the direction of the small river that cut across the grounds. The elated mood he seemed to have been in had vanished.

“I should probably go,” he said quietly. What had upset him all of a sudden?

“Please stay, Kakashi-senpai!”

Sakura observed the group in front of her before turning to look at Kakashi. “If something is bothering you, you can leave,” she whispered, “but I think they would like to hear from you some more.”

He looked into her eyes for a few moments but his expression was completely unreadable. Sakura realised she didn’t like that look at all. It was the one he reserved for his enemies or when he was being completely closed off and she had gotten used to the other look he gave her recently, the one that seemed to take all of her in…

“Do you want me to stay?” He asked, tone as guarded as his face appeared.

She glanced at the preteens trying to listen in and blushed. “Yes,” she admitted, not looking at him.

* * *

 

Kakashi couldn’t help the small smile from alighting his lips. He supposed he could suppress the burgeoning guilt he had felt at the hypocrisy of his own advice as the soft admission that fell from her lips seemed to him like it was perhaps answering his question in more ways than one.

He reached out and gave her knee a gentle squeeze, much to the delight of the younglings in front of them. Perhaps he shouldn’t be stoking their imaginations too much but in the moment, he couldn’t help himself. Clearing his throat lightly, he turned back to the group.

“Any more questions?”

A clamour of voices rose up as they all tried to get their answers.

“Ah,” he chuckled, turning to Sakura.

She shrugged, “you asked.”

“Eldest first,” he decreed.

They all settled down and turned their eyes to a blonde girl close to the front.

“When Sakura-sensei was talking about making babies… is that what sex is?”

“Yes, but you don’t have to do it just for that reason,” he replied. The kids put their heads together and began whispering conspiratorially. He turned to Sakura, who stared at him dubiously. He wasn’t up to lying to these kids – he’d been doing enough of that lately.

A dark-eyed, black haired girl began waving her had in the air frantically.

“Yeah,” he pointed to her, “Shizune-chibi.”

He ignored Sakura’s chortle of laughter.

“I heard my big sister talking to her friends – she said sex was awesome?”

“I can’t complain,” he replied simply. A pencil connected with the side of his head and he turned to a glaring Sakura. “What?”

She rolled her eyes at him and turned to the group. “The point of this class is to help you understand a few things, so listen up. Yes, I suppose it can feel awesome – “ Kakashi couldn’t help grinning; like she knew – “but the first time is probably going to hurt. Also, just because something feels good doesn’t mean you should do it all the time. Sex is something you do with someone you really love.”

Kakashi snorted loudly. She turned those narrowed eyes to him. “Or someone you really, really like,” he corrected.

“Fine,” Sakura consented, “the point is, you don’t have to do it. Neither of you should be considering this for a very long time anyway, but never allow anyone to pressure you into it, especially your first time.”

Kakashi shifted, suddenly becoming interested in pulling out individual strands of grass.

“Boys may say things, perhaps lie, to get you to agree to it, but it’s always your choice.”

Kakashi cringed. He really wasn’t liking where this conversation was going.

“Why would they lie?” One of the girls asked.

Nope, he definitely wasn’t liking it.

“I don’t know,” came Sakura’s reply, “you just have to develop your ability to be able to tell what a real interest in you is and what’s not.”

“How?” Came a small voice from the back.

Sakura laughed then and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I really wish I knew. It’s something you’ll never stop developing until you find the right one, I guess.” He watched her as she smiled around at them all. “But you’ll know. There are always boys you can count on. It could be your fathers, brothers, a really good friend, like my Naruto… Or-“ she turned to smile at him and he really wished she wouldn’t say it, - “a very kind, albeit goofy, sensei.”

Kakashi fingered the kunai in his pocket. Perhaps he should just put it through his brain and be done with this misery.

“Have you and Kakashi-senpai ever had sex?”

The two jounin froze, staring at each other. Had kids always been this brazen? Sakura looked like she was about to start hyperventilating.

“Quite the inquisitive bunch, aren’t they?” He laughed lightly, trying to dispel some of the tension.

“No,” Sakura squeaked, shaking her head slowly in answer to the waiting group, “and that’s probably not a question you should go around asking most adults.”

He smirked as that familiar blush took over her cheeks yet again. Poor girl, just when she thought she couldn’t be any more embarrassed. He was right to have come, regardless of the little guilt trip, watching her squirm had been quite enjoyable.

“Sakura-sensei?”

“What?” She sounded like she was dreading the next question.

“When will my period start?”

“Aaaand I’m out,” Kakashi pulled himself to his feet.

“Really? After everything else that has been discussed today, that is what sends you running?” Sakura asked.

He shrugged at her. “I get it’s natural and all that and I’m willing to bring a little bit of chocolate should we ever have to train or go on a mission during yours, but I don’t really need to hear about the ins and outs of it.”

She grinned. “Fair enough. Girls, thank Kakashi for his help today.”

He waved goodbye to a chorus of, “arigato, Kakashi-senpai!”

As he strolled away, he heard Sakura begin to talk. For some reason, she sounded vindictively gleeful. “Let me tell you all about the world of monthly pain you have coming your way…”

She probably wanted to pay them back for making her feel so uncomfortable.

Kakashi stood outside the Academy building waiting for Iruka to finish the similar lesson he would be conducting with the boys. He couldn’t stifle the chuckle that escaped him as he watched the young male genin walk out of the doors looking completely dazed. He remembered how illuminating that talk had been for him too. As the last of them trailed out, he slouched past into the building. One boy looked up at him on the way out and whispered, “Kakashi-sama… girls are, like…” he was shaking his head like he couldn’t believe it. Kakashi patted him on the head.

“I know, kiddo. I know.”

He laughed again as he watched the boy go. If he wasn’t aware of what had just happened to him, Kakashi would have sworn the kid was drunk.

“You do that a lot, lately.”

Kakashi turned at the sound of Iruka’s voice.

“What?” He couldn’t remember patting any other genin on the head of late.

“Laugh,” Iruka explained.

“Really?” He asked, not really caring for the answer.

Iruka just smiled and changed the subject. “I’m assuming Sakura made it to the lesson?”

Kakashi nodded. “She is currently enthralling them with tales of the monthly monster visits.”

Iruka made a face. Kakashi recognised it. It was universal of all men whenever menstrual cycles were brought up. “Anyway, I was hoping you had a spare five minutes.”

Iruka shrugged, “sure, if you can walk at the same time.”

Kakashi nodded and fell in step with the teacher.

“I’m curious as to how you convinced Sakura to take this class in the first place.”

“Oh,” Iruka undid his hair, shaking his head slightly before running his fingers through it. “I guess it was more a case of right place right time.” He began gathering the dark mess of hair back together again. “She was around when I was wondering who to ask. I had a chat with her and she agreed.”

“She didn’t tell you why?” Kakashi prompted

“Not really,” Iruka replied.

After a few minutes of pointless small-talk, the two shinobi went their separate ways; Iruka to plan his afternoon lessons and Kakashi to sit himself inside the Yondaime’s ear. He stared at the face of his departed sensei and sighed unhappily. “You would have never done this to Rin, even if you never met Kushina-san.” He stared across the village, watching the tiny colourful dots of people moving around their daily lives, oblivious he was up there. “You were always a better man than I could ever be, sensei.”

A small bird fluttered onto Minato’s nose. Kakashi ignored the urge to shoe it away. The stone face wouldn’t exactly feel anything and the bird was doing no harm. It pecked a few times at the rock before flying away again. Kakashi glared after it.

He was going to have to tell her.

That was the only way in which he could see them having a tiny sliver of a chance at still being friends afterwards. He found he was rather enjoying her friendship. He had always liked her company as she had gotten older. He assumed it was around the time she stopped pining after Sasuke and started enjoying her life. She could be quite level-headed and was an incredibly smart woman, perhaps she’d understand..? Kakashi shook his head slowly. She was going to be furious. He was just going to have to get used to the fact that she wasn’t going to want to be around him for a while. He watched a few clouds drift by overhead and decided he wasn’t going to let her go. He made so very few true friendships, it would be a shame if he let this one slide without at least trying to patch things up after the initial meltdown. She was going to be so hurt…

What about Tsunade? The mission to Hatchimitsu was happening regardless of whether he was successful in his or not. The Hokage was going to be most displeased. Screw her, she should never have done things this way in the first place. Sakura was practical, if someone had just told her what needed to be done, she would have found a way. She wouldn’t have enjoyed it though…

He thought back to the morning’s lesson. Sakura was a grown woman but clearly she still held onto the notion that her virginity should not be given away lightly. It was her right to think that way, he supposed. He couldn’t bear to think of her losing it to some stranger, especially when it meant so much to her, but he couldn’t continue down this road either. He was a shinobi of the Leaf and that meant fulfilling his missions to the best of his ability, but never at the expense of his comrades. He had taught her that lesson years ago, he couldn’t go back on it now.

“How do I even start this conversation, sensei?” He asked bitterly.

As if by some divine twist of fate, he sensed her chakra pop into life above him.

“Yo,” he muttered, without looking up.

“Thought I’d find you hiding up here,” she said, sliding down a chunk of Minato’s hair to land beside him. He moved over slightly so she could squeeze in beside him, quite surprised that she was initiating any kind of physical contact after the morning’s events.

He turned to her curiously. She was smiling to herself whilst swinging her legs back and to. She said nothing for the longest time and he just enjoyed her company. It wasn’t going to last, after all. Before he destroyed the tiny bubble of happiness they had somehow managed to create together, he decided to ask her the same question he put to Iruka.

“Why did you agree to teach that class?”

She turned to him, eyes considering, as if she wasn’t quite sure herself. “Well, I suppose I’ve been thinking about putting my name down to be a genin sensei for a while now. When Iruka asked me I thought perhaps it would be a good opportunity to see what it’s like.”

“And?” He prompted

She gave him a dark look. “Nothing will ever be as humiliating or difficult as that was.” Kakashi chuckled lightly. “Surely if I could put up with that I could handle three genin?”

He smiled at her softly. “I’m sure you’d make a wonderful sensei.”

“Really?” She seemed sincerely uncertain.

“Sakura, you’re the kindest, gentlest person I know, but you also won’t take shit from anyone.” He grinned at her smile. “It’s the perfect combination for a good teacher.”

“Well, that explains a lot about you, Kaka-chan” she teased. She squirmed a little next to him before tucking her legs underneath her and turning so that they were back-to-back.

Apparently, teaching became her – she was in an adorable mood and seemingly open to a little light flirting. Really, it would be a shame to ruin the atmosphere.

No, he shook his head and frowned. There were as many reasons as he had jutsu to just keep putting this off, but it wasn’t fair to her. Even if this wasn’t some mission and these feelings between them had sprouted up of their own accord, it still wouldn’t be fair to her. He was an old man, a complete head case, and she deserved so much better.

“Sakura,” he began quietly, but lost his nerve. He glanced down. It was a long way to the ground. If she threw him off in her anger…. _You would create a shadow clone, swing yourself back onto the cliff face and be completely fine_ , he scolded himself internally. He had never really considered himself a coward until that moment. He turned himself around and laced his fingers together, resting his hands on his knees.

She moved beside him. “Uh-oh,” she laughed, “that’s your bad news pose.”

He looked into those smiling eyes. Well, she wasn’t entirely incorrect. He watched as the laughter slowly bled from those green orbs and her expression became more serious. “What is it?”

He looked away guiltily. “Hokage-sama gave me a mission two weeks ago.”

Sakura nodded knowingly. “Yeah – to rest.”

He sighed heavily. “Not exactly…”

She was looking at him inquiringly.

“See, there is a kunoichi that needed specific training for a mission… The kind she hasn’t undergone before…” He was being mightily evasive, but the closer he got to the point of no return, the more difficult it became to form words. “She, umm… lacked the necessary skills and the Hokage felt like I was the only person that could teach her them…”

As he turned to look at her, he saw something flicker through her eyes. Sakura had always been clever. He could tell she had dismissed whatever thought she’d had, but a hardness had etched itself into her features. She was trying very hard to appear neutral.

“What skills?” She asked slowly.

“Well, the kind that would enable her to successfully convince a man to divulge potential life-changing information.” That had to be the cagiest response he had ever given in his life – and he was a master at redirection. It didn’t matter, he knew she was putting the pieces together.

He saw it the moment she figured it out. Realisation flooded through her and she closed her eyes. She almost appeared to shrink in on herself despondently.

“Why you?” She whispered.

“I-I don’t know. The Hokage felt I was the best option.”

Her eyes flew open in disbelief and to his horror, he noticed they had a tell-tale watery quality.

“The best option…” She repeated, clearly dumbfounded. He didn’t blame her, he had felt exactly the same. “But you were my sensei…”

He had no idea what to say. He had thought about this moment over and over since the morning his life had took such an unexpected turn when he had been informed of his ‘mission’ by Tsunade. Unfortunately, he still had no idea how to make the obviously distressed woman in front of him understand that even though the past few weeks had been instigated as a mission, he had actually kind of enjoyed himself…

The wind blew up around them and Kakashi noticed goosebumps rise along Sakura’s arms, but she didn’t make any move to dispel them. He tugged absently at his flak jacket, but didn’t really expect her to accept it if offered.

“Why didn’t you just tell me from the beginning?” He was starting to become slightly unnerved at how calm she was being. Why hadn’t she started screaming yet? Where was the little fireball the whole shinobi population of Konoha had come to love and fear?

“Honestly, I have no excuse.”

“So, the past few weeks, everything you’ve done and said, it was all for the sake of me losing my virginity so I could seduce whoever it is I’m supposed to sleep with at Hachimitsu.” She stated. His ears may have been deceiving him, but he was sure he heard a layer of heat to her words. Maybe the more she was contemplating it, the angrier she was becoming.

“Well,” he began, “maybe no-“

“No,” she said firmly, throwing up her hands before letting out a quiet, bitter laugh. “Yunno, this actually makes things so much easier.” She stood up so fast Kakashi couldn’t follow the movement. He craned his neck to look up at her face.

“Thank you for finally telling me,” she said. She sounded mostly composed, but an edge of scorn hit the word ‘finally’ and she was refusing to look at him.

“Sakura…”

She disappeared before he could think of anything else to say, flooding the Yondaime’s ear with smoke. He stayed seated for a long time, partly upset he hadn’t had the chance to explain himself better, but mostly confused as to why he wasn’t lying at the bottom of the monument with several broken bones.

* * *

 

Tsunade dawdled through the door into her office, only looking up when she realised someone had the absolute audacity to sit in her chair. When she noticed the pink hair of her apprentice, however, she muttered a greeting and continued to flip through the pages of the file she had recently been handed by some overzealous chunnin exam proctor hoping to change it up that year. Some of his ideas weren’t too bad, but he –

Her train of thought was abruptly cut off by the small, ceramic sake bottle that smashed against the wall an inch away from her nose. She slowly turned to regard Sakura and her eyebrows shot up. “Are you attempting to harm your Hokage, Sakura?” She asked, not putting any real conviction into the comment.

“Isn’t this what you do, Tsunade-shishou?” The younger kunoichi’s voice sounded sickeningly sweet. “You throw things at people you’re angry with,” Sakura continued when Tsunade said nothing in return. “I thought I’d approach this in a way you’d understand.”

“Approach what?” Tsunade asked, but she had the sneaking suspicion she already knew the answer.

Sakura’s glare intensified and Tsunade was reminded very forcibly of herself. To the Godaime’s amazement, however, when Sakura spoke, her voice remained at an agreeable decibel.

“The fact that you apparently think so little of me that not only did you have to go behind my back, but you enlisted the help of my sensei.”

“He’s not your sen-“ Tsunade began.

“DON’T!”

Sakura finally snapped. “Don’t you dare say that to me again! Do you have any fucking idea what this has done to me the past few weeks?! I have never been so damn angry, or so completely _humiliated_ , in my entire life!”

Tsunade looked away guiltily. “Sakura, I get it.”

“No, Tsunade-shishou, I don’t think you do.” She had thankfully lowered her voice again, but the fury was still evident with each word. “You have no idea what it feels like to know that _both_ of your teachers don’t respect you enough to just be honest with you from the start.”

“Sakura, listen –“ But she was on a roll now.

“Or how betrayed you feel when you realise that actually, other people you looked up to were in on it to. Oh, it all made perfect sense the moment he told me – why Shizune-san thought I needed to talk to him, or why Genma-san had been exceptionally lewd lately. I can’t believe it took me this long to catch on, actually.”

Tsunade gave up trying to talk. She knew Sakura needed to rant and rave, she had every right to be angry with them, but eventually she would cool off and maybe then Tsunade could explain herself a little better. She realised with a sigh that this probably hadn’t been one of her more brilliant ideas, but she had hoped if it had worked, that Sakura’s first time would at least be a happy enough memory to help her shoulder whatever happened from that point on in her missions.

“Mostly, I just don’t understand, why him? Why Kakashi? Surely there were better choices, ones that made more sense? Why on Earth would you choose to set that pervert on me? He’s just so, so-“

She came to a spluttering stop, apparently unable to find the words, and it was in that moment that Tsunade realised the fatal flaw in her plan. The real reason she had selected Kakashi was in large part due to his apathetic nature. She didn’t think he would be invested enough to convince her apprentice that whatever it was between them would last. She figured Sakura knew him well enough that she would be able to accept those terms, but staring at the utter confusion that knitted the young woman’s brow as she searched for the words to put the man down made her realise… she couldn’t find the words, because she had none.

“Shit,” Tsunade whispered. “Sakura, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think that-“

“Exactly,” Sakura hissed, finding her voice again, “you didn’t think, Shishou.” She let that be her parting remark and leapt from the Hokage office.

Tsunade stared at the sake as it dripped wastefully down the wall. No doubt Kakashi would show up eventually to explain his failure. She fiddled with the obi around her middle. He had always been a top jounin, never had problems doing what was best for the village, so why..? _Maybe because this isn’t what was best for the village,_ a voice spat in the back of her mind, _but what was best for you_.

She had been selfish in her desire to keep Sakura from one of the sadder truths of being a kuoichi and had ended up causing her more pain than was necessary. Sakura was right, she was due far more respect than that. Tsunade had to stop treating her less like the daughter she never had and more like the kunoichi she was.

The Hokage threw the files down on her desk and strode back out of her office. First, she would need to replace that bottle. No doubt she and Konoha’s number one jounin would both rather discuss the whole unpleasant business whilst highly intoxicated.


	14. Chapter 14 - Drawing Perspective

Chapter 14 – Drawing Perspective

Genma stood as still as he could. It wasn’t that he was nervous or afraid, it was simply that the Hokage deserved every ounce of respect he could muster. Given her often volatile emotional state, he thought it best to be an upstanding shinobi today and allow her all the time in the world to locate whatever the hell it was she had spent the last ten minutes rummaging through her desk drawer for. Without thinking, Genma rolled his tongue so that the senbon flicked to the opposite corner of his mouth. The Hokage glared up at him and he shifted slightly despite himself.

“Am I keeping you?” She practically oozed sarcasm and Genma shook his head forcefully. So perhaps he was being so well-behaved due to being the tiniest bit scared… but really, anyone who knew Tsunade would agree he was being clever in his silence. Unless, of course, she actually wanted him to speak, in which case…

“Uh…”

“What?” She barked, finally pulling a file out of the fathomless depths of her desk and slamming it on the wooden surface.

“Nothing,” he mumbled, sulkily.

The Hokage sighed heavily and began rubbing at her head. “Look, I have a monstrous hangover so can we get this over quickly? I need to sleep.”

Genma figured nodding couldn’t possibly get him into trouble.

“You’re leaving for the resort tomorrow. Establish yourself as staff and recon every little detail you think may be useful to Sakura when she gets there.” She sighed again before leaning back into her chair. Genma had the briefest of moments to allow himself an appreciative glance at his esteemed leader’s cleavage before scooping up the file and distracting himself with the contents.

“I’ll give you a bit of time to go over it but do you have any questions at the moment?” Tsunade stayed in her position and Genma had the feeling she would be falling asleep any second.

“Not really,” he shrugged. Anything he wasn’t sure on he could find out later.

“Great,” she sat up suddenly and pierced him with her gaze. Genma felt rooted to the spot. “Perhaps you could answer me one.”

He gulped, throat suddenly parched.

“Like, for example, what exactly your intentions are with Shizune?”

Genma felt like he had been drained of every conscious thought, every ounce of blood… Surely Shizune wouldn’t have said anything to her? Maybe when she got back but he couldn’t imagine she would ever write it down. Anyone could have intercepted that piece of correspondence so easily.

“Well, umm…” He spluttered over his words as he tried to form an answer that would please the Hokage without trapping himself into a commitment he was only just beginning to even think about considering.

The anger suddenly drained from Tsunade’s eyes and she laughed. Genma’s eyebrows shot up questioningly and her features became hard again, though she seemed more tired than pissed off at him.

“You are the third person to stand in front of me and find themselves completely at a loss for words in the past twenty-four hours.” She shook her head slightly before folding her arms on the desk and resting it on top of them. “Sit down,” she muttered.

Unable to come up with a good enough excuse to leave right there and then, Genma dragged a nearby chair to the desk and sat tentatively.

“How would you say things with Kakashi and Sakura are going?” She suddenly asked.

“Oh, well,” Genma sat up straighter, glad that the topic of conversation was moving away from him and his antics in Suna. “I think she’s pretty hooked. From what I’ve seen it’s just a matter of Kakashi letting the guilt trip go and she’ll be all his.”

“He told her everything.”

Genma blinked. If he was honest, it wasn’t all that surprising. He could tell it had been coming for a while, even before he had helped it along. “Well, Kakashi always puts his comrades before a mission.”

“That’s what he said,” she moaned.

“Did you expect a different outcome, Hokage-sama?”

She looked up at him. He flinched automatically before he realised there was no hostile intent behind those amber eyes.

“I’ve got a dilemma,” she began slowly, as if not really convinced she should be speaking to him. Genma was definitely sure he wanted to leave. “I’ve interfered enough, obviously, but the fact remains that she will be going on this mission. I spoke to Kakashi and although it’s like getting blood from a stone, I almost feel like he doesn’t want her with anybody.”

Genma couldn’t help the smirk, which only invited a curious look from the Hokage. He scratched his head wondering how much to say and the best way to say it. With a sigh, he threw caution to the wind. Weren’t people usually praising him for his honesty?

“It’s because she’s his now.”

The Hokage sat up straighter. “But, they haven’t – “

“It doesn’t matter,” he cut her off and relaxed into the chair. “She is his. He definitely didn’t intend it, that much is obvious, but Pinky has wormed her way under his skin and he can’t shake her now.” He gave a theatrical sigh, rather enjoying having the Hokage’s full attention. It was almost funny he’d been so afraid barely a minute ago.

“I chose him because I thought he’d understand the most…”

“Oh he does, but that’s why it was a mistake. You put ideas into the heads of two people who may not have noticed on their own, but you should have considered something first.”

“What?” She asked miserably.

“Kakashi knows her better than any other man. Better than Naruto or any of her other male friends, because she never considered him, so she was never on her guard.”

“Considered?”

Genma nodded with a smile. “She never thought for a second she would develop feelings for her sensei, so she has never been anything other than herself. Women hide parts of themselves from potential partners, as men do too. It’s almost a defence, I suppose. So here she was since she was twelve, letting that man learn every fault, every tick, each corner of her personality and then one day, bam!” He slammed his hand on the table for emphasis. Also, because Tsunade jumped like he hoped and he grinned, thoroughly amused. “All of a sudden, out of nowhere, sexual tension is thrown into the mix and here is a man who knows every dark part of her and for some reason is attracted to her despite it. Hell, maybe even because of it…. I dunno about you, Hokage-sama, but that might be a little hard for most women to resist.”

Tsunade was staring at him wide-eyed. “Why did that sort of make sense?”

“Because I’m clever?” Genma offered with a smug smile.

“No, that’s not it.” She was looking out of the window. Genma rolled his eyes. No one ever appreciated his wisdom. He’d been around a lot of women, why couldn’t people just accept he was a bit of an expert in these matters? Obviously to avoid emotional scenes you had to be aware of people’s feelings.

“So is that what happened with Shizune?”

Genma was suddenly forced to comprehend the vulnerable situation he was in. The Hokage was going to murder him and he’d stupidly let his guard down. “Uh, well… I-I don’t think so…”

“Why? Or did you really think that before a few days ago, Shizune had considered sleeping with you?”

“Um,” sweat was beginning to gather on his forehead. He couldn’t exactly agree or disagree. Surely she had thought about the two of them before that day? What if she honestly had believed it would never happen? That might explain why she was so mad over something so trivial… She really hadn’t considered it? What the hell?

Tsunade chuckled again, “you really are an idiot.”

Unsure of how to reply, Genma decided to do his own digging.

“Shizune wouldn’t have written to you about this. I can’t imagine Sakura gossiping about her friend, which really only leaves…”

Genma glanced at the amused look on the Hokage’s face.

“Hatake, you bastard!” Genma sprung up and raced from the office.

Tsunade settled back in her chair again. The man was clever, but so stupid at the same time. Honeslty, you’d have to be blind not to notice the attraction between those two. She was surprised it had taken this long for Shizune to crack. Which was part of the reason she hadn’t understood at all why two people who had never displayed even the slightest romantic interest in each other whatsoever could so acutely implode her plan. Genma, weirdly enough, might have had a point.

Never, in her entire life, had she ever thought anything would be between herself and Jiraiya. Yet, in the weeks leading up to his death, a small comment from her apprentice had made her look at him differently. She had tried so hard to convince herself she had been devastated at his passing because he was her oldest and dearest friend, but it wasn’t that which left her broken and crying over her sake bottle for weeks… She’d been so torn up over Dan’s death that she had never noticed. She had refused to let anyone else in, yet there he had been anyway, all the time. She had wasted all those years and when she finally realised why his smile made her so happy, he was taken from her too.

She wasn’t kidding herself anymore. Nobody would ever get more than two shots at complete happiness. She had screwed up both of them. Shizune and Sakura were the closest thing she had to family and she be damned if she was going to mess it up for them too. Shizune and Genma would be easy. Kakashi had been quite chatty about that whole situation (mental note – the Copy Ninja is only too happy to gossip when drinking gin) and once Shizune came back, Tsunade would beat the girl over the head, tell her to stop being so damn proud and throw her at Genma.

Sakura… well, from Kakashi’s refusal to discuss anything other than what literally happened, she had begun to get the feeling that his inability to address any emotions may have spoken louder than any lies he could have weaved. He was adamant his only reasoning was because she was his teammate and friend and that she deserved better. He was dead right, of course, but she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling there was more to it. Now, after speaking with Genma… perhaps she shouldn’t meddle in this anymore? She really had done enough damage. Kakashi was a grown man. More than that, he was intelligent. Like Genma said, Kakashi _knows_ Sakura.

Tsunade took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and unclenching her fingers to lay her hands flat on the desk as she did so. This, she would leave to him. She had spent years trusting him as a shinobi of the Leaf and he had come through for her without fail. This time, she was going to trust him as a man.

Sakura, she would trust because that girl deserved nothing less. After a nap, she would go and beg forgiveness.

* * *

 

“Ok… so, what happens now?”

Kakashi scrutinised his kohai. That was it? He was expecting a lot more than a simple question; Tenzo was usually the first to give him an earful after he did something stupid. He just shrugged and took another tentative sip of water. After the gargantuan drinking session he had had with the Hokage last night, he was sporting the hangover to match. Credit where credit was due, he had a newfound respect for the leader of their village. How she managed to get anything done with this kind of headache was anyone’s guess.

Tenzo let out a small huffy noise and folded his arms with a frown. That was the haughty wood-user Kakashi had come to love.

“Seriously senpai, Sakura is going to realise she needs some kind of experience for this mission now, what’s to stop her going out and looking for it?”

Kakashi just shrugged again. Nothing, he supposed.

“Are you hiding here because you think she might try to find you?”

Kakashi glared at him before glancing around the apartment. His kohai had been quite lucky a few years back and bought the place before it had hit the market. It was spacious, with high ceilings and beautiful hardwood flooring. The rug Kakashi was sitting on in front of the low table was heavenly. He could bury his fingers in the soft material and seriously imagine he was sitting on a cloud. To be honest, he had entertained the idea once or twice of bringing a woman back here when Tenzo was out on missions because he could only dream it would feel amazing to lie back on all that softness and just lose himself in –

“Senpai, get off my rug.”

Kakashi’s gaze snapped back to his kohai. “Why?”

“Get off it or stop fondling it.”

“If you would just tell me where I could get one I wouldn’t bother you here ever again,” Kakashi replied with a roll of his eyes.

“If only that was true,” Tenzo muttered, getting to his feet to refill the water jug. When he walked back into the room (Kakashi was quick to put his hands back on his knees), Tenzo topped up both of their glasses before fixing Kakashi with his stern ‘captain’ look. “Are you scared she _won’t_ come and find you?”

“Excuse me?” Kakashi asked silkily. He returned the younger jonin’s look tenfold, just as a little reminder of who the actual captain at that table was.

Tenzo held his hands up in a gesture of peace and spoke gently, like you would to someone with an armful of smoke bombs. “I’m just asking whether you actually want Sakura to come to you for her first time.”

Kakashi tutted loudly. Of course he did. He would love it if she couldn’t bring herself to go to anyone but him. The position he was in now though was notably precarious. If she came to him and he agreed, the tension that had been building the past few weeks would no doubt lead to an incredible night, but he had the feeling that would be it for them. On the other hand, if he refused, she might be embarrassed and pissed at him, but the possibility of them rekindling a friendship was much higher. That was, of course, if she would forgive him for lying to her in the first place.

“How long should I give her before I try and speak to her, do you think?”

Tenzo sighed, obviously annoyed Kakashi had completely ignored his question. “I don’t know, a few days?”

Kakashi nodded in agreement and was reaching for the glass when a movement in the air alerted him to something coming from the large glass doors that led to the balcony on the right. Before he could react, someone had grabbed hold of his wrist, twisting his arm behind him and slamming him first into the table where an audible crack and a disgruntled shout from Tenzo told him the wood had split, before forcing him face first into the rug.

“Why are you breaking my furniture?” Tenzo moaned loudly.

Kakashi, though slightly humiliated that he hadn’t been able to put up a fight in his hungover state, relaxed as he recognised the chakra. “A simple hello would have sufficed,” he offered. The rug was so soft on his skin he really wasn’t all that bothered to be down there.

His assailant lent heavily on his arm causing a small amount of pain in his shoulder. Deciding he’d had enough, he bent his leg and brought his heel flying into the small of the shinobi’s back. With a gasp, they lent forward slightly and Kakashi used the momentary lapse in concentration to send Genma flying through the lounge room to crash into a nearby cabinet.

“I swear to Kami-sama, one of these days the two of you will be able to enter someone’s home, through a DOOR, and not break something!”

Genma, who was rubbing over the spot where his forehead had connected with the wood, grunted. “You create wood, just make a new one.”

Kakashi was thankful the mask hid his smirk and as much fun as he knew it would be to see Genma full of splinters, he thought it best to avoid it for now. Besides, it would probably be him who would have to drag Genma’s sorry ass to the hospital. And of course, Sakura might be there. Though, that might be a good excuse to see her… Unfortunately, Tenzo calmed down faster than Kakashi was expecting and he missed his chance to provoke him further.

“So, why exactly are you attacking Kakashi-senpai?”

Kakashi raised his eyebrows inquiringly, though he had a feeling he knew what this was all about.

“Because, that jerk is a traitor!”

“What?” Tenzo looked completely confused. “Kakashi-senpai would never betray the Leaf.”

“The Leaf?” Genma was pulling himself up and glaring kunai in Kakashi’s direction. “Screw the damn Leaf, he betrayed the sacred bond of trust between two guys on a mission for booty!”

Tenzo just stared at Genma for a few moments, before turning around and walking to the hallway. His voice and his face were equally expressionless, a skill mastered through years of ANBU training. “I’m leaving. I’ll be back in an hour. Neither of you will be here at that time.” He closed the door a little more forcefully than was required and left the older jonin staring at the space he had previously occupied.

“Now’s my chance,” Kakashi mumbled, getting up. “Help me with this, would you?”

“Kakashi, why the hell would you tell Tsunade I banged Shizune?”

“Banged?” Kakashi asked, making sure to lace his voice with enough disgust. He put the two glasses and the jug of water on the floor and indicated Genma should move to the other end of the table. Amusingly, the man flicked his hair out of his eyes and complied without question.

“Fine, had sex with, whatever. My point is, you know how insane that woman is, why would you do that?”

“Did she hurt you?” Kakashi sneered slightly as the two of them lifted the table and began walking it to the other side of the room next to the damaged cabinet.

“No,” Genma snapped back, before his expression softened slightly. “Actually, she was weirdly calm about it.”

As they placed the table none too gently onto the floor, Kakashi shrugged. “What’s the problem then?”

“Dude, we’re like, brothers. You can’t be doing that.”

“We’re not even a little bit related.” Kakashi reminded him as he walked back across the living room.

“No, like, friends. Ok look, please refrain from discussing my sex life with the Hokage in the future, ok?”

“Fine.” Kakashi began rolling the large, sapphire rug and glanced up as Genma knelt beside him to help.

“It’s fine really, I know why you did it.”

“Oh?” Kakashi prompted. Truth be told he had been drunk and thought at the time it would have been hilarious to see the look on Tsunade’s face when she found out. He was right.

“Yup, you just didn’t want to talk about what is happening between you and Sakura.”

“Nothing is happening between me and Sakura,” Kakashi replied flatly. He had personally seen to that.

“Uh-huh,” Genma grinned, “that’s not what me and the Hokage think.”

Kakashi stared at his friend threateningly. Unfortunately, it didn’t work quite as well on him as it did on Tenzo.

“It’s ok,” Genma laughed, “the Hokage knows exactly what’s going on now.”

“What have you said?” They had finished rolling the rug up and Kakashi was lifting it onto his shoulder.

“Nothing that wasn’t true,” Genma was grinning manically.

“I swear Genma…” Kakashi let the threat hang in the air unspoken but his friend was unperturbed.

“Later!”

Sighing to himself and determining that surely the Hokage was smart enough to take whatever idiosyncratic garbage that fool had blurted out with a grain of salt, Kakashi turned on his heel and winced as he heard a crash behind him. If – no, _when_ Tenzo asked, he’d just blame Genma for the missing rug and the broken water jug.

* * *

 

Sakura paused with her knuckles a centimetre away from the Hokage office door. She really didn’t want to be there, but when your leader issues a summons, you have to comply. She couldn’t sense anyone’s chakra accept her shishou’s, but that meant nothing in this village. If Tsunade had decided to force the issue then Kakashi could just as likely be behind that door as well. Facing one of them was bad enough, but the two of them together? She most definitely was not up to that.

Sakura had never felt so emotionally drained in her life, not even about Sasuke. She still couldn’t put her finger on why she was hurting so damn much. She was furious about the entire situation and upset about the way people she trusted implicitly had treated her, but there was this underlying, gnawing sadness that she couldn’t quite place.

She took a deep breath and knocked sharply twice.

“Enter.”

Walking into the office, she saw Tsunade wave her hand at a chair, indicating that she should sit. Sakura did so without a word, thankful it was just the two of them.

Tsunade sighed heavily before fixing her eyes on her. Sakura could tell from the slight glazed quality that her Hokage had clearly just woken up, no doubt from one of her hangover naps. Sakura bit her tongue rather than admonishing her like she usually would. She rather felt the pain was deserved.

“I want to start by apologising again.”

Sakura huffed.

“Seriously, I understand a little better now and even though I thought I was acting in your best interests, I very clearly was not.”

Sakura didn’t reply, but softened her expression somewhat. She wasn’t blind, she knew how much the Hokage cared about her.

“I really thought I was sparing you from it all, but I made matters worse for the both of you.”

“Both of us?” Sakura knew it couldn’t have been easy to convince Kakashi to take on the task, but at least he’d had a choice.

Tsunade gave her a small smile. “Kakashi isn’t the bad guy, not really. He was doing what his Hokage asked of him and even in the end, he couldn’t do it. He sat where you are now and told me in no uncertain terms that you were his teammate, his friend, and would always put you first.”

Sakura crossed her arms sulkily. “Well, he’d say that about anyone. He always puts his comrades before a mission.”

“You think so?” Tsunade sounded amused now and Sakura was in no mood for it.

“Fine, I accept your apology and I sort of understand where you are coming from but I reserve the right to be pissed a little longer.”

Tsunade shrugged, “fair enough.” She tossed a large file over to Sakura, who caught it surprised. “This is what we have so far regarding your mission in a few weeks.”

Sakura nodded and stood up to leave.

“In all honesty, Sakura, your virginity is going to be a hindrance. I’m not saying ditch it with anyone, but think about how it may implicate this mission.” The Hokage sighed before looking at her apologetically. “I thought once that I could change the way the world saw medics. I think I mostly succeeded. To change how the world sees a kunoichi though… that is a lot harder. I just can’t send anyone else. You’re right for this mission, you have the skills, knowledge and expertise in healing… I don’t know what else to do.”

Sakura regarded her shishou. It was true there was a very stereotypical view of kunoichi. The days before the villages’ creation, it was widely accepted that kunoichi were primarily used for seduction and assassination. Even though this was a far cry from the kunoichi of the present day, there was no denying the stigma was still real. Unfortunately, every now and again, a mission would arise that could only be resolved in this way.

The Hokage really did seem to be pained by the reality of their situation. Despite herself, Sakura gave her a small, reassuring smile, which the she returned. “Just promise me that if you need to talk about anything, you’ll come and find me?”

“Hai, shishou,” Sakura said softly before slipping out of the office and heading for the security of her home.

She had been neglecting her household duties of late so there was quite the pile of dishes mounting up as well as several books and papers scattered across her coffee table and over the floor. Much to her annoyance, the Icha Icha draft had been sitting on the kitchen counter since last night as well. She had been determined to throw it out. Really, she would only have to give it a slight nudge and it would fall into the bin. She just couldn’t bring herself to do it and it infuriated her endlessly. It had been a tool, that’s all. Just a way for Hatake Kakashi to learn what he could about her and use it to his advantage, the absolute bastard. How easily she had caved! She was an embarrassment to kunoichi everywhere! Not anymore. Picking the draft up, she glared at the slightly scrunched pages and held it over the bin, hands shaking.

“Sakura-chan?”

With a jump, Sakura stuffed the pages into her cutlery draw and spun around.

“Naruto! How long have you been here?”

The jinchuuriki scratched over his blonde hair, large idiotic grin ever in place. “I got here about ten minutes before you did.”

“What do you want?” She snapped impatiently. “I have a mission file to go over.”

“Oh,” the grin faded slightly, “Sakura-chan is going on a mission without me?”

Sakura rolled her eyes and flipped the kettle on. “You go on missions without me all the time, Naruto.”

“I suppose,” he agreed reluctantly, taking a seat at her small kitchen table. She felt his eyes on her while she poured the scolding water into a teapot. She busied herself finding two clean cups and a tea strainer before balancing it all as she carried it to the table.

“Oi, Sakura,” Naruto finally broke the silence as she stirred her favourite mix of jasmine, rose and camomile, letting it infuse.

“Mm?” She asked absentmindedly.

“Are you happy?”

Sakura blinked up at him. What was that supposed to mean? “Yes…” she replied slowly.

“Oh, ok.” The two of them stared at each other over the teapot. Sakura was the first to crack.

“Why?” She sounded disgruntled, even to herself.

“O-oh, well, umm…”

“Just spit it out Naruto,” she snapped, busying herself by pouring them both a cup.

“Ok. It’s just, Sai thinks you’re keeping a secret.”

She hesitated for a second, but continued pouring Naruto’s tea. She didn’t think she had been that obvious. She barely remembered even seeing Sai around the past week, how could he know anything?

“Why would he think that?” She asked cagily.

“I don’t really understand it. A few days ago he said that he’d been reading up on relationships and that you were displaying some of the behaviours he’d been learning about... or something.” He scratched his chin, obviously clueless.

“Naturally,” Sakura snorted, much to Naruto’s surprise. “Sai seriously needs to stop with the social analysing books. Half the time I swear he just creates scenarios.”

“R-Really?” Naruto looked somewhat relieved and Sakura had to smile.

“I’m fine, Naruto, I promise. There are a few things about this mission that are getting me down a bit but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“Oh,” Naruto grinned, “if it’s about a mission I can definitely help you out!”

“No,” Sakura said quickly, “nope, I’ve got this. Besides,” she added with a nervous giggle, “I think Hinata would kill me.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Here, drink your tea.”

Sakura didn’t like lying to him, but she really couldn’t imagine a reality where Naruto would take the news of their sensei attempting to seduce her calmly. She had no idea how to tactfully broach the subject with him and frankly, wasn’t strong enough to stop him from trying to kill said sensei. No, it was best she kept this to herself for now. She realised that sadly, there was no one objective or distant enough from the problem that she could actually talk to comfortably. She had half considered going to cry to Ino over everything after confronting Tsunade yesterday, but firstly, that girl couldn’t keep gossip this good a secret to save her life and secondly, she’d probably just tell Sakura to get over herself and sleep with him anyway, mostly so that she could describe his face to the cumbersome blonde afterwards.

Once Naruto had finished his tea and eaten two of her instant ramen cups, he left her to go over the file Tsunade had given her. She had been surprised to see the words “S-Class” on the front page at first, but the more she read the more it made sense, unfortunately. Her target, Fujioka Kaito, had a ruthless reputation and a heavy bounty on his head according to the bingo book. Originally from the Mist, he had abandoned his village long ago in pursuit of power and money. His main jutsu, though formidable sounding, were mostly water-based techniques, which explained why Tsunade thought she was the right kunoichi for the job. Her earth-based nature would be strong against water types.

Sakura had to admit begrudgingly that the man in question was quite handsome, albeit a little psychotic. For some reason she couldn’t help but imagine he would talk in a similar way as Satoru. She spent a few seconds wondering how Yuuki was doing before putting the raven-haired woman to the back of her mind. That was so far from being her problem right now…

Feeling slightly overwhelmed at how much work had gone in to preparing this undercover mission and knowing full well it was going to be one of her most challenging tasks yet, Sakura tucked the file into one of her medical text books and went for a wander around the village.

After purchasing some dango from one of Gai-sensei’s favourite sweet shops, she ambled lazily in the direction of the village centre. The closer she got to the main plaza, the busier the streets became and she enjoyed being lost among the bustle. Normally, crowds this big could be a ninja’s greatest ally or enemy, depending on whether you were the one hunting or being hunted. Kakashi had taught her that lesson on a mission last year. She had watched mesmerised as he had performed the henge jutsu, transforming his usual eye-catching hair into an unimpressive shade of brown, eyes to match. He blended in to the crowd seamlessly and she had struggled to keep track of him from her perch on a nearby roof. She almost missed it, the moment he struck, but she just glimpsed the tell-tale silver flash of a kunai across their targets throat. Kakashi had slipped away before the man had hit the ground. She had never again felt quite as safe in a crowd, but here in the village, she could relax a little. It wasn’t impossible someone could assassinate her here, but she felt the odds were slightly in her favour.

As she stepped into the main square, Sakura took in the sights and sounds of a very excitable civilian crowd preparing for the end of summer festival their village held each year. Really, it was just an excuse for everyone to have a giant outdoor party one last time before the cold drove them all inside. She had to admit, once she was old enough to drink, this festival had taken on a whole new life and the buzzing atmosphere was infectious. She had just been about to offer help to a nearby group hanging lanterns when she noticed a loan figure with a sketch pad sitting on a bench.

Smiling, Sakura wandered over to sit next to the man, silently offering him her last dango, which he took with a small smile of his own.

“Thank you, Sakura.”

“What are you drawing?” She asked, leaning over to spy on the colourful page. He had almost perfectly replicated the fountain in the middle of the square, complete with a small group of children unravelling some bunting and a cute couple sharing an ice-cream. Sakura couldn’t help but grin. “I love it.”

“Really?” Sai gazed down at his work and gave a shrug. “It’s nothing special.”

“Yes it is,” Sakura enthused, “it’s one of the happiest drawings I’ve ever seen from you, actually.”

“…Why?”

“I dunno,” Sakura plucked it out of his hands and held it up so they could both see it better, “maybe it’s the colours, or the scene… It just makes me feel happy inside.”

Sai regarded her carefully until she started to shift uncomfortably. “Sorry,” she mumbled, passing the sketchpad back. Perhaps she should say something to him? Tell him to keep his nose out of her relationships, or at least stop putting ideas in Naruto’s head.

Sai ripped the page from the book.

“What are you doing?” Sakura demanded. Did it bother him that she liked it? That was pretty stupid.

“Here,” he said simply, holding it out and waiting patiently for her to take it.

She remained frozen to the bench, staring at the paper, dumbstruck. She couldn’t remember him ever giving her one of his pieces before. “Why are you giving me this?” She asked slowly.

“Because you like it,” he said, eyes widening. She could almost see him trying to determine whether the gesture was socially acceptable and she had to bite back a laugh as she took it.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“I like it when I see your real smile, Sakura. It makes you much less ugly.”

Sakura felt her eyebrow twitch.

“Ah,” came Sai’s slightly panicked voice, “I said the wrong thing, didn’t I…”

Taking a deep breath, Sakura decided to let it go. She was actually quite touched by his gesture and she knew it was a big deal to him. “You can buy me something to eat,” she declared, taking his hand and dragging him after her.

“Didn’t you just have dango?”

Sakura shot him a warning look and Sai remained quiet while she ordered some fried ebi nigiri from a local vendor and he paid. They ate on the move, Sakura pointing out other festival scenes Sai could draw. She spent a pleasant afternoon watching him pause to sketch every now and then. He asked her several times whether she wanted to be in one, but she refused. She really didn’t want to see a drawing of her done by an artist who frequently referred to her as ‘ugly.’

After several lazy hours, Sakura suggested they retire to Sai’s studio apartment. Her intentions were not exactly pure. She had realised a short while ago that Sai’s complete lack of social understanding might actually be to her advantage and although it was going to be painfully embarrassing, his total disinterest in her love life may provide some insightful clues as to how to progress with her mission.

After letting her inside, Sai instantly went to his small kitchen, returning with a bottle of sake and two tiny cups.

“Why do people assume I’m an alcoholic,” Sakura moaned, throwing herself onto his bed. Sai had a very minimalistic outlook regarding household items, so the bed was the only place, besides the floor, to sit at his place. She gazed at the paintings hanging around the walls, eyes falling on a pile of drawings that were scattered around the small table. Strange, Sai was usually meticulously neat… She reached over and plucked off the ones she could reach, flipping through them slowly. They were all people she knew. There were a couple of Naurto, patented grin on his face. One of them had Hinata smiling shyly at him. “Oh, that’s cute,” Sakura remarked.

Sai sat comfortably next to her, leaning against the wall and watching as she saw each of her friends and people she knew. “What made you draw these?” Sakura asked, smiling knowingly at a surprisingly enlightening drawing of Shikamaru and Ino sitting together, the man’s eyes on the woman who was smiling at something beyond the drawing.

Sai pointed to a book on the table and leaning off the bed slightly, Sakura just made out the title. “Recognising relationships,” she read aloud, before glancing back at a drawing of Ten Ten throwing something at Lee. “You realise Ten Ten has a thing for Neji, right?”

“Yes,” Sai replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world and Sakura couldn’t help but giggle. “It’s not just about romantic relationships though,” he continued, pulling a few drawings off the bottom of the pile. He held one out to her and she couldn’t help but admire how he had captured the love between mother and daughter.

“Oh, wow… You should give this to Kurenai-sensei.”

Sai nodded but said nothing more. Sakura continued to flip through the drawings until one in particular made her breath catch in her throat. She could feel Sai staring at her and much to her absolute annoyance, a horribly familiar prickling sensation had started in the corners of her eyes.

“Sake,” she demanded, voice rougher than usual.

Sai handed her a full cup wordlessly and she downed it, shuddering slightly. The more she stared at the picture the angrier she got. “When was this?”

“About a week ago.”

“Why did you draw it like this?” She croaked. The picture was becoming blurred and she fought so hard not to let a single tear fall, but Sai’s words managed to undo her.

“I only drew what I could see, Sakura.”

As the first tear betrayed her she stared at Kakashi’s face; or more aptly, his eye. In the picture the two of them were standing together. Sai hadn’t done backgrounds in any of the drawings so she had no idea where they had been or what they were talking about. Her face seemed so vibrant. She was laughing at something, eyes shut, one hand held up slightly, like she was about to tuck her hair behind her ears or something. Kakashi was leaning forward slightly with both hands in his pockets. Sakura realised his Icha Icha book was nowhere to be seen.

She gently placed her finger over his exposed eye. It was too painful to look at. It couldn’t be real.

“You’re very talented to be able to draw so much emotion on a man whose face you’ve never seen.”

“Like I said, that’s what I saw.”

“No,” Sakura snapped, “it was all fake.”

Sai looked at her questioningly and Sakura tossed the paper onto the floor. “I’m going to tell you something but you have to promise you won’t tell Naruto, or Ino or anyone else for that matter, ok?”

“Is this a secret? Friends keep secrets for each other, right?”

“Yes,” she shot him a weak smile as she wiped away her few escaped tears.

It took four more shots and a never-ending stream of embarrassment but Sakura managed to more or less get the story out. She couldn’t believe how much better it felt finally talking to someone, especially someone who was in no way involved and had no inclination to butt in and offer advice every few minutes. She never, in a million years, have thought to tell Sai her problems, but the more time she had spent in his company that afternoon, the more it seemed to make sense. She ranted until she was exhausted, finally collapsing onto Sai’s pillow.

There was silence for a long time. She watched Sai as he processed all the information. She could tell he was thinking hard. She wondered whether it had been too big a step in their friendship and had to stifle a laugh. How pathetic had her life gotten that she was turning to _Sai_ for advice. The sun had begun to set, lengthening the shadows in the room, but neither of them thought to turn on the lights. Realising he would probably sit there all night if she didn’t intervene, Sakura sat up again and moved beside him, bringing his pillow with her so she had something to hug tight.

“What should I do now?” She asked solemnly.

“You’re determined to do the mission?”

“I have to! So many lives depend on me helping to shut down this kunai op.”

“Ok,” Sai turned to her, “realistically, you do not want this Fujioka-san to be your first time, so you must find someone to sleep with.”

Sakura groaned. “You make it sound way too simple.”

“But it is simple, isn’t it?” Sai sat up a little straighter beside her. “Find someone to sleep with. It’s up to you whether you say it’s for a mission or not, but a situation you can _control_ \- one with no fear of enemy attack or blowing your cover, has got to be preferable to doing it on the mission with a stranger?”

Sakura gaped at him. Of course she knew that already, but hearing him state it like it was the most obvious thing in the world sort of took the wind from her sails a little. “That doesn’t mean what they did was ok…” She pouted.

“It helps it make a little more sense though. Hokage-sama took a course of action to try and protect not only the village, but you. Her way of doing it, while not a great idea, was the best she could come up with. Sakura, most Kage wouldn’t have considered your feelings on this matter at all.”

“I know…” She mumbled back.

“Kakashi started doing what he believed was the best for the village and yet again, chose to tell you instead. Most shinobi wouldn’t have considered your feelings, either.”

“I know!” Sakura snapped, starting to get irritated.

Sai, clearly sensing her rising anger, decided to end the conversation quickly by scooping the picture he had drawn off the floor before sitting against her side and holding it up for her to see.

“Your pupils dilate when you look at him.”

“What?”

“You are clearly attracted to him. Why not let him sleep with you? If it’s a matter of pride, ask Naruto or Kiba or any of the other males in our friendship group. I’m sure, as friends, they would always help you in any way they could.”

“What..?” Sakura whispered, eyes flickering from the picture to Sai’s face and back again as he began talking.

“Look at you in this picture. Really look,” Sai brought it closer and she followed his finger as it circled slowly around the drawing of her head. “I’ve known for a long time that I never considered you the prettiest person. I think it’s your hair. I don’t really like pink.”

“Get to the point,” Sakura growled. It was nearly ironic that she had gone from the company of a man who pushed all of her buttons on purpose to one that was oblivious to the effect of his words.

“Well, I guess what I’m trying to say is, until this moment, I had never thought of you as pretty.” He tapped the drawing lightly. “More and more lately, especially when you’re around him, you’re almost… beautiful.” He whispered the last word and Sakura knew it was because he had been unnerved by her sudden closeness. She wasn’t sure why, but she had to be near him. The things he had been saying made sense; they just sounded _right_ , and out of nowhere, his solution was perfect.

“Sai-kun,” she gently placed a small kiss, a peck really, on the corner of his mouth. The alcohol and her brilliance was making her incredibly confident. This had to be the better choice, the right one to make. “Can you help me?”


End file.
